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A Night In My Hometown

Posted on July 8, 2013July 3, 2013 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

I live in a small town outside of my college town and some times when I venture into town I see things/people that I don’t like or understand, but it’s my hometown.

I’m going to tell you a story of my Friday night, well part of it that it is. It all started when I tried to be a good fiance to J who had already clocked a 14 hour day with no end it sight. So, I thought food. That’s the way to any man’s heart, right? I mean that’s what I was always told by family and it always seem to work. It’s funny because the way to my heart is chocolate and that’s technically food, so I guess that’s the way to anyone’s heart – their favorite food.

Anyway back to my hometown story…

My hometown doesn’t offer too many options for good food, so, I ordered some wings for J at a local pizza joint. I went to pick them up and they weren’t ready so I grabbed a seat to wait. In walks this man, I instantly got a weird vibe from him and hoped that he wouldn’t sit next to me to wait for his order. Now, let me say that I am never that person. I really can talk to anyone, but some people give me the creeps and this man was no exception.

He sat down and said hello. I said hello back. Then he starts making fun of one of the workers. I wasn’t a fan of that so I just sat there nodding, which I guess that opened the door to more free conversation. The next topic he decided to talk about was boobs. Other women’s boobs …for about five minutes. All I kept thinking was really, seriously?

Seriously?!? Do I look like I am open to that type of conversation? I don’t want to hear about how five years ago you got to see a girl who was probably 15 at the time that had ginormous boobs.

I just sat there with my fingers crossed and hoped that my order would be up and I could hear that magically words, “Meredith To Go.” I may or may not have jumped up so fast that I almost face planted into the counter.

Oh it’s just another night in my hometown. Got to love it!

Cheers!

A tough subject: My Weight Loss

Posted on July 3, 2013July 3, 2013 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

As I sit here with my fingers on the keyboard the only thing I can is let out a heavy sigh, my weight loss is a tough subject for me.

The subject of my weight is really, really difficult for me. I’m sure it is for a lot of people and I hope that someone out there can relate. Truthfully, I am scared to write this post, I need to set aside this fear that I have building in me with every keystroke and get down to it. Enough stalling already.

My weight loss and weight gain is a sore subject. I have never been this super fit girl, I was not athletic in school, and I love sweets. Actually, I have an unhealthy relationship with sweets. People laugh at me, but if I see sweets or know they are nearby it’s ALL I can think about. The thought of a cookie in the kitchen will consume my mind.

Let me preface this with – I was never heavy in high school. I maintained a good balance between running around with friends and having a Mom prepare dinner for me. Then when I moved to college and started living in a place where I had a choice that is when the weight gain started. I could choose between dorm food, the Taco Bell that was in walking distance or ordering a $5 large pizza; let’s face it, those are not good choices. So, the weight gain started. On May 4, 2010 I was the heaviest I had ever been and I had enough. It was time to focus on my weight loss. I stopped complaining and I stopped feeding my sadness with more bad food. I joined Weight Watchers. It just clicked and I loved the Weight Watchers program from the start!

In the next year I lost over 50 pounds. 50 pounds! That’s crazy people! Then the best thing happened I got offered a job to be a leader for Weight Watchers. I was ecstatic about this opportunity to share my story with others and help them along their weight loss journey. All was going great for a year and then I started slipping and the weight started creeping back on. I finally quit my job at Weight Watchers convincing everyone that it was because of a new full-time job and I could not simply take off for 2 hours every Tuesday to lead my meeting. In reality though it was because I had gained weight and was no longer at my goal. I was/am ashamed about that fact, but I just could not stop the landslide. I could not find the drive or motivation to track, get in my healthy guidelines or be active on a regular basis. I do not know why my motivation was gone.

It just was.

Now fast forward a few months and I am further away from my goal weight and my wedding is just 4 months away. I’m sickened by my actions and my ability to let myself lose what I had worked so hard to gain. Or is it gain what I had worked so hard to lose.

It’s time I do something about it… again. I figured posting on here with pictures would really help my motivation. I can do this again. I know I can. I know I can.

So, here we go. I will commit to tracking my food – all of it, every day. I will attend Crossfit 3x a week because I really do love it and feel so good after I am done, I will stop saying the words “I’m fat” because that is doing absolutely nothing for my self-esteem. I will replace those words with “I’m learning” and “I will be healthy.” Finally, I will commit to a weekly roundup on le blog of what was successful and was not successful.

If you want to join me then please do. I would love the company and we can support one another. I know that I will not reach my goal within 4 months, but I will look damn good in my wedding dress.

I will not let tomorrow’s holiday or a weekend at the lake break my confidence or give me an excuse to slide a bit. It’s going to be a good week and I will be proud of my accomplishments.

Cheers!

What Being in a Sorority Taught Me

Posted on July 1, 2013June 29, 2013 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

It always surprises me when people look at me astonished and blurt out some gibberish to the effect “You were a Sorority girl? No way!” and I respond nicely, but also grinding my teeth, “Yeah, I was a damn good sorority girl.” When I’m shooting fireballs though my eyes at them.

I was a Sorority girl and if I want to get technical – I am still a Sorority girl. I’m an Alumna of a Sorority and will always consider myself a Sorority girl. I wasn’t the typical college student. I started at a community college that was less than 5 minutes from my parents’ house. I worked at a local office supply store and thought that my life was so hard.

After my freshman year I decided it was time to move on. I applied, got accepted and moved to Springfield to attend Missouri State University. My parents only had one rule – join a sorority. It didn’t matter which sorority, I just had to find one that I clicked with. So, I did. I found one, I joined, and never looked back.

People think I’m crazy when I say that my parents made me become a Sorority girl, but they had their reasons, which I’ll get to in a bit. I learned some pretty great things during those years. For instance:

– I learned the ability to hold a conversation with just about anyone and not sound like a moron. Through recruitment, social gatherings, and …. I learned how to talk to people that weren’t from a small town in Southeast Missouri.

– I learned how to dress like an adult. When you live with 60 other women there is going to be a time when you walk out of your room and someone goes “No, no way. Turn back and try again.” The first time it happened I was a little stunned, but in all honesty – she was right.

– One of the most important things I learned, which is why my parents wanted me to join a Sorority was how not to be so awkward. That’s right, yours truly was one awkward, introverted girl. I was shy. Painfully shy. The kind of shy that the thought of talking to another living being that I didn’t know since the age of six made me sweat.

– I learned some serious networking skills.

– Learned how to live with all different types of people. Literally living with them. It was an adjustment, but it was a great lesson. Let’s face it, we all work with, live with, and have to deal with people every single day. If I can live in a house with 60 other girls and still be friends with them at the end of it then I can handle any other environment.

– I learned how to have fun while being successful. At my college the Greek student body had a higher cumulative GPA then the remaining student body. At the end of the day there was someone in that house that had taken the class, had a friend that took the class, or was currently in the class. It made studying so much more beneficial.

Sorority is not for everyone. I’m not saying that it is. I have a lot of friends in my life that were not in a Sorority and they are successful. It’s hard to imagine what type of adult I would be without the years I spent in college traipsing around Missouri State with letters on my clothes. These lessons are my own.

Summer To-Do List

Posted on June 21, 2013 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

It’s official. Summer is here. The humidity is up and my allergies are finally starting to subside, a little. I put together a little list of fun things that I’d love to do in these next few months. What do you have on your to-do list?

1) Attend a Cardinals Baseball game
2) Go to the lake as much as possible
3) Grill majority of our meals
4) Learn to make a new summer cocktail, preferably with raspberries.
5) Work more on our wedding plans (getting those invites addressed without pulling out my hair)
6) Commit to Crossfit at least 3x a week (fingers crossed)
7) Spend time with J’s family and my family
8) Teach Tiny a few new tricks
9) Start saving for my Bachelorette party(!!!) in NOLA.
10) Go to Founder’s Park to watch a movie

Cheers to a great Summer!

Knowing When You Have The One Worth Fighting With

Posted on June 18, 2013 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

Want to know a secret? I’ll let you in to a little personal secret of mine pertaining to my past relationships. You see, back in high school and undergrad of college most of my friends thought of me as this “2 week girl.” No, not because my relationships would only last 2 weeks, but because I couldn’t stand having a disagreement with someone. I just never saw the need to fight or not get along. It wasn’t really important to me to fight. I thought, why waste your time?

So, that’s where my “2 week girl” came into play. You can bet that after an argument that I just didn’t see the importance of the guy and me would be over in about 2 weeks.

I promise that I am not this cold-hearted, stone-faced woman. I really do have a heart and I would bend over backwards to help my partner out. I would be there for them, whether if it was helping study, a family crisis, etc. I was there. I just did not see the need to fight. Why?

Then it all changed. One night, I met J and he changed my world. We fell fast for one another. We decided early on that it would be the two of us. The two of us against the world and we would be together.

It hit me one day – J was worth fighting with. We may not always agree on every topic. We frustrate each other. Our personalities are not identical. I am much more reserved and J is very outgoing. I am a homebody and J is happy out with people.

We also make each other happy, laugh, and work harder at being a better person. J pushes me to go after my dreams. I do not think I would have been as passionate about MereLynneConcepts on Etsy without him. We are there to listen to one another and help each other.

As women (well most women) we watch these romantic comedies, you know – the cliché ones. The movies where at the very end, right before the credits roll the two characters embrace and say something like, “I’d rather fight with you then make love to anyone else.” Then there is an extremely long and passionate kiss.

Super unrealistic.

J and I may get into it time from time, but he is worth every hard discussion, every time I have to admit I’m wrong – J is worth it all. We’ve had to learn how each other react to a fight or disagreement. Not just learning but compromising our typical actions for the one we love.

I may not have the romantic comedy ending, but I do have the person that makes my soul instantly melt. I found the person that I will face the world with, as a team. For that I am grateful.

4 Tips for Healthy Eating

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

photo source

In the past 3 years I have learned a lot about myself and a lot about eating healthy. I have my good days. I have my bad days. Just like the majority of us out there.

A few items I’ve learned about eating healthy.

1) You must be realistic with yourself. If you love chocolate (like I do) or salty foods (like J does) then telling yourself you will never eat a kit-kat again is just plain pointless.

2) Listen to your cravings. When I crave chocolate it could mean a variety of things. First, it’s that lovely time of the month and I’m feeling vulnerable. Second, you are having a bad day and your serotonin levels might be low; and you want a jolt of feeling good. Third, your magnesium levels might be low.

3) Moderation. I can put down a pack of cookies like no one’s business. I know this lovely fact about myself. I avoid putting myself in those situations.

4) Forgive yourself. When I was first on my journey to healthy eating I would get so upset with myself if I allowed my old habits to come forward. What happens when you’re sad? You want something to make you feel happy. For some of us that’s food. So we eat. Then we realize that we shouldn’t have done that. So we get sad again. What happens when you’re sad? You eat. It’s a vicious circle. The best thing you can do for yourself is to forgive yourself. Your mind, body, and emotions will thank yourself.

Just a little advice from a girl who has done the opposite of every single one of those points listed above and has learned the hard way. Take my advice.

Cheers!

An exciting time

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

It’s a pretty exciting time for me right now. I’m ready for what the future has to offer, my eyes are open and I will not ignore any more opportunities.

The most exciting part of 2013 is J and I’s wedding in November. We’ve been planning, organizing, and buying items for it. The closer we get the more ready I am for it to get here. I haven’t been too overwhelmed yet, but I’m sure it’ll hit. We are almost 5 months away from the big day!

These two pups mean the world to me. The love I get from them and give to them is priceless.

And finally, my new Etsy venture is thrilling. I will be adding more items to the shop this coming week. I’ve spent time creating new designs, working on my policies, and even my business plan. I may have a degree in Marketing, but actually attempting to use what I’ve learned is a whole new ball game. I’ve been reading up on SEO, advertising, sponsorships, etc.

Cheers to exciting times!

New Adventure

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

Alright, it’s time for a new adventure. I have to keep moving.

You may have noticed that the name of the blog has changed. That’s because ….

I would like to introduce you to my new Etsy shop – MereLynneConcepts. I will continue to add items over the next few days (hopefully) for a long time.

I would love it if you would take a look at my shop and I am open to any suggestions that you might have.

Prioritizing

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

photo by DColeman Photography.

Priorities. I’ve given it a lot of thought. I know what makes me happy in life from work-life to home-life. I know what I need to succeed and go to bed each night knowing that I have accomplished something that day. Whether my accomplishment is big or small.

For me, it’s pretty simple (at least I like to think so). I need:
– the love of my fiance, J
– cuddles from two rowdy pups, Maggie and Tiny
– a job that not only pays the bills, but one that I feel I am truly helping someone else
– a roof over my head
– something to be working towards
– my friends
– my family
– being creative

A lot of these parts intermingle with each other. For instance, being creative, having a job, and something to works towards can all be combined. I believe that if I find a passion that combines all three then I will have found my dream job.

Having something to work towards is something that I’ve recently struggled with. I graduated with my undergraduate degree. One year later, I started pursuing my Masters. Now, I’ve graduated and … now what? It’s hard for someone who has always been working towards some sort of degree to know where to go to next. I know that I need to find a career that I am passionate about; however, I am wanting to move out of Springfield within the next few years. So, for me this time needs to be spent finding out what qualities of a job make me the happiest, what qualities I want to avoid at all costs, and where J and I want to end up.

It’s a process. A deep process with quite a bit of thought and time. I cannot rush and I have to go with the flow.

For someone who is as Type A as I am, this time can be challenging. Here’s to hoping that I can take a deep breath.

Cheers!

Morning Ritual

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

Each morning about 6am, Tiny wakes up and is ready to start playing. Now, Maggie and I are not the best in the morning. We like to sleep late. Let me clarify when I say sleeping late. For instance, when I have to be at work at 10am then I get out of bed usually about 9:10. I always get ready, look decent, and make it on time.

Now at 6am Maggie and I are getting up with the pup. We head into the family room, turn on the news, and start checking emails and favorite blogs. This morning; however, both dogs felt the need to lay on top of me… literally.

It’s the small things like this moment that melt my heart and make have two crazy mutts worth it.

Happy Thursday!

Cheers,

Mere

I live in a small town outside of my college town and some times when I venture into town I see things/people that I don’t like or understand, but it’s my hometown.

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