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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #70

Happy Friday and happy first week of December! The Christmas season is here and I am here for it. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this time of year! My holiday calendar is slowly filling up and it begins this weekend with a Christmas concert, I can’t wait!

All is calm, all is bright.

As we begin the weekend, here’s some things that I have been loving this week as I link up with Erika and Andrea or a fun roundup of Friday Favorites!

Credentialed Podcast– I am slowly jumping on the podcast bandwagon. Certain podcasts, I will listen to on the day they come out, while others, I will listen to when I have the time. I recently started listening to the Credentialed podcast by Justine Ward and Jillian Mele, they are two former reporters who decided to go back to school to get their MBA’s. There’s only a few episodes out and most of them have been about their background and decision to leave the news business. While I love my job, it’s been interesting to hear their stories and decisions to pursue other careers. Definitely worth the listen if you are interested in news, sports, or making a career change.

Fall/Winter Dress– I picked up this Calvin Klein dress from Marshall’s and it’s the perfect dress for fall and winter. I love the color (it’s a mix between a dark orange and light red), the style could work in the fall and winter with or without a blazer depending on the weather and it fits true to size. You can easily wear this to a cocktail party, to church or even dress it up with pumps and some bold jewelry for a holiday party.

Plus, it pairs great with a bright red jacket.

You can’t go wrong with red jacket!

Virgin River Returns– After the fall premiere, Virgin River released some holiday episodes/ specials. I haven’t had a chance to watch the episodes yet, but I plan on starting them this weekend. I like how they planned for some episodes mid hiatus. Not only does the series continue with some updates but I can’t resist a good holiday themed episode. I’m looking forward to cozying up by the fire and catching up. If you have watched or are planning to watch, what are your thoughts so far?

Pinterest Christmas Ideas– Pinterest has been one of my favorite apps lately for all things holiday fun. I have been scouring it for Christmas recipes, holiday decoration ideas and just holiday scenes. I have found recipes to bake, meals to try, and hot cocoa drinks to taste. I always find such creative ideas on Pinterest for the holidays and it really gets my creative juices flowing when it comes to trying new things. You can follow my board here.

Tell me: what’s something fun you have tried from Pinterest?

Side Dish Meme– Ending Friday Favorites with this meme I saw on Facebook. If you have lots of holiday parties or get-togethers coming up, this is your reminder to give yourself some grace.  I love to spend time in the kitchen cooking and baking, but it’s not for everyone. If cooking and baking causes you stress, alleviate some of that by heading to the store and picking up something pre-made to bring to your holiday part. The holidays are meant to be a time to spend time with family and friends and soak up traditions, try not to stress about the little things. December can be hectic and busy, give yourself permission for grace this holiday season.

That’s a look into life lately, lots of fun and festive things, plus a laugh or too! I hope you have a wonderful and festive first weekend of December!

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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #57

Happy Friday Friends and Happy September!

Even though we are in a month associated with fall, I’m holding onto summer for as long as I can. I hope you have something fun planned for Labor Day weekend and the end of the summer season. This weekend, I plan on spending time outside, getting in some pool time and some family time too.

Soaking up summer with every last ice cream!

Before we get to the weekend, I want to share some things I’m loving this week as I link up with Erika and Andrea for another edition of Friday Favorites.

Becoming Free Indeed– A few months ago, I mentioned I am trying out Audible for a free trial and one of the first books I listened to was “Becoming Free Indeed” by Jinger Vuolo. I grew up watching Jinger Vuolo on 19 Kids and Counting and I have continued to follow her after the show ended. I was interested to read her book about her faith and life and decided to listen to the audiobook version to hear it read in her voice. Through the book, she mostly focuses on her faith and how her relationship with God has changed through her life. She doesn’t focus too much about her family or the drama that has surrounded them in recent years. Overall, I thought it was interesting to hear her perspective about her faith and relationship with God. 

Brown Flats– I got my first taste of fall with this purchase. I was on the hunt for some sturdy but fashionable flats and found them at DSW, they are by Kelly and Katie. I love the extra cushion and support they provide, plus the dark brown allows them to go with dress pants, skirts, and even jeans. Plus, the gold buckle is such a cute accessory. These shoes and fall fashion will make saying goodbye to summer a little less painful.

Katie Couric’s Wake Up Call Newsletter– This isn’t new, but this is something I use every day and wanted to share. One of the first things I do when I get up is check the top news headlines. I get them from various apps and sources, from my local news app, to USA Today, Twitter (X), and then Katie Couric’s Wakeup newsletter that gets sent into my inbox every morning. It covers national and world headlines along with some entertainment news and then some features. It takes only a few minutes to read, but it brings me up to speed every day. You can learn more and subscribe here, definitely a great source if you are looking to get a comprehensive scope of news.

A look at the newsletter

The Morning Show Season 3 Trailer- The new season of the Morning Show begins this month. I’m excited for this upcoming season especially after seeing the trailer that was released last week. It looks like this season will be filled with drama, a cyber attack, some new faces and a lot of morning news. It’s been interesting to see how the show has evolved and changed since its begun and how it brings in what’s going on in the world into the show. I’m excited for some new shows to watch!

Laundry Crystals– Call me crazy, but I love doing laundry. I always like to stay on top of laundry with six people and I’m always interested to see what things are out there to keep my clothes fresh. I have been using these Purex laundry crystals in my washer to keep my clothes fresh. I have used the Unstoppables brand in the past too and have enjoyed how they keep my clothes smelling fresh. They are just a little something extra that keeps my clothes smelling fresh after a wash.

There you have it, a look into some of my favorite and sometimes practical things that I am loving this. As we say hello to September, what things are you looking forward to this month? Let me know in the comments below! I hope you all have a relaxing and enjoyable Labor Day weekend!

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Fabulous living

What I’m Thankful For

Hey guys…happy Wednesday! We are slowly but surely making our way through November. These past few weeks have been filled with work, catching up on reading, going on fall drives and cozing up with warm drinks and lots of baking…all my favorite things!

As we get closer and closer to Thanksgiving I want to take some time share what I’m thankful for. I do this kind of post every year and while the list stays the same it’s always a good reminder and it puts things in perspective of what’s important.

I could spend all day working on this list, from my loving family, supportive families, a great job, food on the table, my faith etc, but I wanted to highlight a few specific things I’m thankful for this year. 

-Covid-19 vaccine.

After being in this pandemic for almost two years, I was so thankful I was able to get my vaccine as an extra layer of protection against the virus.

Such a milestone this year.

-Seeing friends

Thanks to vaccines, I’ve been able to see more friends this year, from high school and college. Weekly coffee dates are back, traveling for day trips were a big hit this summer and being able to be in one of my best friend’s weddings this summer was the cherry on top.

Seeing friends in person has been huge!

-Growing in my job

I’m so thankful I was able to learn and grow in my role at work. I’ve seen a change in myself with how I tell stories and in my confidence. I am always looking for ways to grow and I’m so lucky to have so many wonderful mentors and co-workers to help me grow and learn every day.

I’ve grown a lot in front of and behind the camera.

-My Health

It goes without saying but I’m so thankful I’ve been able to stay healthy amid the pandemic. In these trying times I’m so grateful for my good health and for the good health of my loved ones too, from family to friends, co-workers and neighbors, these past few years have taught me what’s important in life. 

I’m so grateful for my health

-My Support System

From my incredible family to my friends, my co-workers and relatives, there have been so many times this year that I’ve been reminded of how lucky I am. Whether it’s my family moving around dinner times to accommodate an early morning wake-up, my friends who listen to me when I need to talk or take me on an adventure when I need to clear my mind, or my co-workers who help me grow in my job. Not a day goes by when I’m not thankful for all the incredible people in my life.

I wouldn’t be here without my family!

I do these kinds of posts every year to remind me how lucky I am and how grateful I am for all my blessings. I have so much to be thankful for in my life.

I hope you and your families have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

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Fabulous living

One Year in News

Hello all! Happy Wednesday!

I hope your week and year is off to a great start! Now, that the holidays have calmed down, I wanted to reflect on my first year as a reporter. I did a recap in the summer about what I have learned 6 months in. You can read all about it here. In the past 6 months, I have learned even more. Every day I continue to grow and learn and get stronger in my skills as a reporter. I try to learn something new, I know not every day will be a slam dunk story, but I always try to take something away from it, whether it is a new editing skill, a better way to write something, or different way to be creative with my storytelling.

It’s always fun getting to share stories that are important to me

I have loved to tell people’s stories in my own hometown. From big to small stories, whether it was an event going on, like a toy distribution for Christmas, talking to local businesses about struggles of the past year, covering historic events like the first Covid-19 vaccines arriving in Erie, following the election, and everything in between. I have travelled to other states, neighboring counties or even just down the street to talk to people about their lives.

I also have got more opportunities at work too.  I have been able to fill in and anchor some of our shows. It’s something I have dream about doing for a long time and the fact I am anchoring them and producing them on my own is a huge accomplishment for me. I have covered for different shifts during the holidays, helped out to make sure things go smoothly and worked more on my craft through the year. I also love getting to work on our digital team and learn more about the art of producing and stacking shows, both skills that are helpful for anchoring.

Working the anchor desk on Christmas

When looking back on these past 12 months, I have learned a lot about the job, but some of my best memories are of conversations with co-workers or laughs when I was preparing for a story, from early more shifts, to late nights, working weekends or holidays when no one is there or when it’s all hands on deck. It has been a year of change and excitement. I have truly learned that it’s the people that make any job worthwhile. I am so lucky that I have such great and supportive co-workers and mentors to learn from every day. Especially working long days and hours, it helps to have co-workers that make the days go by fast.

In the middle of a live interview

I have worked long days and shifts, but I covered winter weather, tornado damage, breaking news, things reopening, things shutting down, back to school, new events and opportunities for the community, exciting and happy stories, and ones that break your heart. In the end, I love what I do. I love that I get to find stories and tell them, meet people and get their message out. It’s so special and surreal that I get the chance to give people the news.

Covering the presidential election

It’s also been too fun to have my family and friends watch me and send me pictures of it and supporting me. It’s such a humbling experience that I don’t take for granted.

Getting pictures from friends and family that watch me never gets old.

Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better first year in news, it truly was a monumental time to get, I can’t wait to learn more and grow and see where I am a year from now.

It’s been an incredible first year, let’s bring on year two!!!

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Fabulous living

A Day in the Work Life

Hi everyone, last week I gave you a look into my work life, so this week I thought it was time I give you a look into my daily work life. 

No two days are the same, every day is different and things can change hour to hour, here’s a little look into what a day in the life looks like for me.

Let’s begin…

Here is what a wake up time looks for me, 7:25 to start the day.
Gym time at 8:00 am
After the gym, I had to make a stop to Target to buy a new fit bit since mine bite the dust after 3.5 years, new fit bit review coming soon.
Doing some reading and journaling after I hit the gym.
Doing some blog work, checking emails and getting ideas for stories before I go to work
Lunch time…leftovers from the night before, chicken, lettuce, tomato, salsa, cheese and rice, homemade taco bowl

The next few hours were very busy so I don’t have any photos, but here’s what it looks like…

After lunch comes getting ready for work, most of the time, how I look when I live the house is how I look for the 11:00 news. Once I get to work, we have a meeting about story ideas and who’s covering what, on this day, I went to a news conference about grants and a tax give back program for the city. I got interviews and video for my story following the news conference, I came back to the station to listen to the interviews and get ready for live shots in the early show.

I had two live hits, one at 5:00 and one at 7:00, so I was prepping lines before I went live.
Following both live hits, around 7:30, I got called to check in on a boating accident, which turned out to be nothing, but it shows no day is ever quiet…haha
Back at work around 8:15 I spent time cutting sound and listening to interviews for my news package and putting it all together.
After I finished my writing my story, I go to track it.

Around 9:00, I finish putting the final touches on my story before putting it up on the web. Around 10:00, I get ready to work on live hit for 11:00.

Here’s a look at my piece, at 11:00, once I wrap doing it, I cut video for my story and close up shop for the day. I leave at 11:45 and typically head to bed by 12:30…and that’s a day in the life.

Every day is different and no two days are ever the same, but it’s all part of the excitement and fun.

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Fabulous living

My Dream First Job

Hi everyone!! Happy Wednesday! I hope you are all having a great week! Today, I thought I would give you a look into my work life. In college, I brought you into my daily school life, with work, classes, meetings, friends, and things to do. Well, now that college is over, and I’ve been working full time for the past six months, I thought it was time I introduce you to my work life. 

Following graduation, I accepted a job back home as Multimedia journalist at my local news station. For people following for a while, this is the same place where I interned at a few years back. You can read about my summer internship here. So, what does that mean? I’m a reporter, but I do everything. I pitch stories, set up interviews, do the interview, shoot the video, edit it together for a story and then front it on the news at the end of the day. I’ve also helped out doing digital and producing on the weekends as well as trying out some anchoring. It’s a lot, but I love it. I have gotten so much experience in these past six months that I never could have imagined. I have also learned about all the moving parts that go into bringing a newscast to life from start to finish.

On the job

These past six months have been nothing short of exciting. Let’s begin back in December, I started two days before Christmas, worked 12 days straight, we then went straight into winter weather news and coverage, then with spring came the Coronavirus pandemic, so during that time we adapted to a new normal, and with summer came many protests and riots. It has been a whirlwind but I have loved every moment. I have been able to cover stories about schools handling harsh weather, businesses taking on the pandemic whether it’s about closing or reopening, I’ve covered different events, highlighted different families going through their best and worst moments. It has been so rewarding to tell these stories. 

Working on the anchor desk

I have met some incredible people both on stories and in the newsroom. It’s been so rewarding to cover stories in my hometown. I’ve been given the opportunity to learn and work with people that I grew up watching. One of my close friends sent me this side by side comparison which is crazy of how far I have come. 

Crazy how much time can change when you work hard to achieve your dreams

A few months back, my college highlighted different young alumni and they asked to feature me which was an extreme honor. You can see the video highlighting a day in the life here. 

Part of my day in the life video

I have loved every minute of my job, yes, not every day is easy or fun but I have learned so much about myself and this job and my hometown through this job. I can’t wait to see what the next few years bring! 

Covering the morning after riots

Thank you to everyone who has watched and supported me through these first few months. If you are still interested or want to follow along more, you can like or follow my Facebook page for all my stories. 

Have a beautiful week and a wonderful Fourth of July!

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Fabulous living

Summer Recap

Well at the beginning of the summer I shared my summer bucket list and today I’m sharing everything I got accomplished! Let’s see how we did…

Summer List

–              Complete Internship-YES

I had a great summer internship experience, you can read all about it here

Practicing my reporting

–              Go some place new-YES

I went to Taylor Swift’s concert so that counts as something new, right!?

…Are you Ready for It?

–              Take a trip-YES

My family and a took a getaway to one of our favorite places, it was so nice to get away and unwind.

Getting away for a bit

–              Sleep in-YES

I was able to snag a few days to sleep in and take it easy during the weekend and a few week days when I was off of work.

–              See high school friends-YES

It was so good to see many friends from high school, we picked up where we left off-love them!

Fourth of July spent with my favorites

–              See one (or more) college friends-YES

I’m really proud that I pulled this off, I saw FOUR friends from high school. All my friends live at least 2 hours or more away so I was so happy I was able to see them

Much needed retail therapy

–              Read SIX book (one more than last summer)-YES

I really outdid myself with reading this summer. I’ll be posting a book review soon so you can see how many I read.

–              Watch SUITS-NO

I got through most of it this summer but still have a few more episodes to go. I really enjoyed this series. You can check it out on USA or Amazon Prime.

 

–              Watch Evil Genius-YES

I binged watched this while I was traveling and it was so good. I would recommend it for sure, plus who doesn’t like to watch a documentary about something that happened 5 minutes from their house…true story

–              Watch Comedians in Cars getting Coffee-YES

I watched one episode (episodes are only 20 minutes) every morning while getting ready for work. It was something super light and easy to watch.

my latest obsession

–              See Mamma Mia 2-YES

I loved this movie, I have been listening to the soundtrack nonstop. It was definitely a favorite movie for me.

such a good movie

–              See Oceans 8-YES

Loved this movie, it was so well done and the cast couldn’t have been better, girl power all the way.

Another movie I loved

–              See family and spend time with them-YES

I was so happy I was able to see both sides of my family, from grandparents, cousin’s and aunts and uncles. Family over everything!

–              Try something new-YES

Doing my internship counts right?!

–              Go to the beach-YES

I went a few times to cover stories for my internship, but I also went to watch the sunset.

Watching the sunset

–              Take more walks-YES

I did better at the beginning of summer, but I can’t wait to be back in the gym once school starts back

–              Eat at a food truck-YES

One of my best friends and I grabbed lunch one day downtown. It was delicious and a fun way to catch up.

Grabbing lunch with my girl downtown

–              Watch the sunset and sunrise-YES

My family and I went to the beach to watch the sunset and I had  a few early mornings where I watched the sun rise.

Watching the sunset

–              See a concert-YES

I saw both the Piano Guys and Taylor Swift. Both incredible shows. I absolutely loved them

.

We had great seats to see her perform on one of the smaller stages

–              Spend more time outside-YES

Whether it was swimming, tanning, reading or working, I spent a lot of time outside.

Soaking up the sun

–              Go swimming more often-YES

I wanted to go in more but I got in the pool more than last summer so that counts.

–              Do more free things (Zoo, parks, festivals)-YES

I did but I could have done better, hey I had a busy summer, I did make it to the zoo, beach, and relaxed so that counts

–              Trip to Pittsburgh-YES

I went a few times for some sightseeing, zoo, a concert. I did very well in this department

City lights at Night

–              Breakfast at iHop-YES

It was more of a brunch but I got my fill of iHOP.

–              Don’t rush as much and be in the moment-YES/.NO

I wished I slowed down more but sadly I was often on the go. Always more things to work on

–              Smile more-YES

This was the summer of me! I had such a good summer and smiled a lot.

MY MOOD THIS WHOLE SUMMER

–              Be spontaneous-YES

I was spontaneous but there is always room for improvement.

I truly had a wonderful summer. I lived a lot, learned a lot and really took care of myself and had some fun. Summer 2018 you were so good to me! Fall Semester, let’s get to work!

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Fabulous living

Summer Internship

Hi All!

I hope you had a great weekend. I just got back from a packed full summer vacation. It was great to be off the radar for a while, but now it’s back to business and school mode is in full effect!

Today I am sharing what I’ve been up to this summer. As you know, I have pretty busy working between my internship and summer job. I couldn’t have asked for a better summer internship. I interned at one of my local news stations. As a communication major, there are so many areas to work in. For several years, i have had an interest in journalism and the news. As my graduation gets closer and closer I thought it would be a good idea see if working in the media is something I would want to dedicate my career to.

View from the control room, watching the magic happen

Last January, I spent a day shadowing the news station and loved it. I learned about internship opportunities and by the middle of January I had my summer internship lined up.

Flash forward to May, I was home for less than 48 hours and I was already starting my internship. I worked two days a week from 9:30-5:30. I was able to set my own schedule. I loved going to my internship every day and learned so much.

Practicing my reporting

There is no set “day in the life” as a reporter. Every day is different and new things are constantly going on.  When you walk in, you get assigned a story and by 5:00 that night when the news airs, the story is done. There is always a deadline to meet. Most reporters told me they want the days to go by slower not faster. That’s one of the things I liked so much about my internship. Through the two months i was there, i learned about reporting, producing, editing, and anchoring.

Practicing my anchoring

My internship included shadowing different reporters every day, conducting a few interviews, watching that editing of news packages get done, and  my favorite part, writing and editing my own stories. I even got to practice  anchoring too. I worked with producers putting in commands for the rundown, I got to help write stories with reporters. When it came to editing, a few of the photographers let me help edit the news packages, and then the anchors gave me tips on how on how to anchor best.

Covering a stand off, after doing a story on beach erosion, every day is truly different

This was a hands in experience, I got to help cover several different types of stories, from a stand-off with the Police, a murder, the mayor’s weekly news conferences, a political figure’s death, beach erosion, a cancelled concert, and the death of an inmate on work release. These were just a few of my favorite ones. I got to meet so many people from different walks of life and I learned so much about the city I have called home for the last 20 years.

Getting behind the camera

After completing my time at the news station, i am certain that this is the field I want to go in after graduating. It would be even more special if I could come back home and work for the same news station.

Getting in front of the camera too

I couldn’t have asked for a better summer or experience. I learned so much and i loved going to work every day to see what it’s really like being a news reporter. Hopefully, you can see me on air one day and just not online. Haha!!!
Happy Tuesday!