It's the most wonderful time of the year

Christmas 2010 was my first official Christmas putting up my own tree. Between the burnt bulbs and power outages (thanks Nova Scotia Power), the tree took approximately four days until it was perfect! And I'm pretty proud of the final product! Nothing beats the atmosphere of a Christmas tree at night when I'm watching my favorite holiday classics.

I am looking forward to opening presents, reading a nice book, drinking too much wine and getting together with friends. So which ever way you celebrate this special time of year, make sure to relax and enjoy these special times!

Happy Holidays,

Nat

These are a few of my favorite things

So Christmas is fast approaching and I realized that I haven’t blogged in a while. I feel guilty for not keeping up with my blog but the task is always the unaccomplished task on my to-do list.

I thought the beginning of December would be a great time continue my personal blog and to share with you the things I am awaiting for with uncontrollable glee this holiday season.

So here are a few of my favorite things;

- Christmas Daddie’s. A full afternoon of Cape-Breton music and helping families in need. It's also the best Sunday afternoon to wrap presents;

- Advent Calendars. Since I can remember, the milk chocolate advent calendar has been the first sign that the holidays were fast approaching. It’s the best way to countdown to Christmas!

- Disney ornaments. My roommate and I put up the tree last Saturday. It was my first official tree as an adult (meaning I had no family members helping me make it perfect). I opened the box of ornaments only to discover that some limbs were missing from my favorite Disney characters. Needless to say, it was tricky gluing Pluto’s nose! After much

- Coffee shops. Starbucks has three signature holiday drinks out, while Second Cup has the most delicious hot chocolate and spiced eggnog latte. The mood in Halifax’s coffee shops is relaxed and cosy during the holidays; it’s also a great place to meet up with friends.

Christmas time is always filled with the best things of the year!!

Happy December,

Nat

Beach Bum

Being from a small town, I imagined that Halifax wasn’t home to beaches. I had the image of us spending our entire weekends downtown or shopping; and really that wouldn’t be cool. So this summer, I have been pleasantly surprised with the amazing beaches around the city. My new favorite place is Rainbow Haven.
Everyone mines their own business; the sound of the waves slowly washes away the stressed of the week and the book I’m reading is entertaining. For an entire two days, job searching and the stresses of my career get washed away and all I have to focus on is ensuring that my tan is even on both sides!

Ahhh.. summer!!

Happy weekend everyone,
PR Girl

Marketing yummy cupcakes

This summer is my first official summer in Halifax. I have been pleasantly surprised with the variety of events I have attended. And everywhere I go, the pink bus follows me!

Two of my friends and I went to the Commons on Canada Day and we were greeted by the friendly bus. I went to the Buskers on the waterfront last Friday and there it was. Nothing makes me happier than seeing this bus around the city. At the sight of it, I feel like a child waiting for the ice cream truck. I love it because it encompasses two of my favorite things: cupcakes and social media!

Susies’s Shortbreads uses a blog and a facebook account to keep their target audience aware of great deals. Many organizations claim to be using social media strategies to engage the audience in a proactive way but most fall short. But with 1,116 followers, it seems to me that Susie’s Shortbreads is doing it right. The business announces discounted prices and cupcake of the week and creates excitement around the mobile.

Follow the yummy cupcakes on Twitter @susiesHalifax.

Bonne Appétit,
PR GIRL

A picture is worth a thousand words

This is what my blog looks like :) This website creates "beautiful word clouds".

I may become extremely addicted to this new discovery and create "wordles" for everything in my life!

I'm a big kid now

Happy 143rd Birthday Canada!


While Haligonians celebrate our nation's birthday and Acadians from my hometown celebrate the opening of our Festival de l'Escaouette, I will be celebrating the fact that I am officialyl a proud resident of a lovely apartment in Clayton Park.

And after living in residence for four years, this apartment is amazing!! I see Bayer's Lake, Kearney Lake, the Sunset and am walking distant from the public library (Chapter's is not in my budget these days; although I love the smell of new books).

So as I sing O Canada on Citadelle Hill tomorrow, I will be raising a glass to this amazing apartment.

So however you decide to spend tomorrow's holiday; enjoy!!
PR Girl

the view from my deck <3

Halifax Commuter

I recently became a casual employee for the federal government. I love what I do and I’m actually learning so much about how our economy works! Going into this position, I thought that commuting from my remote (okay, it’s not that far) apartment off Lacewood Drive in Clayton Park to Hollis Street would be the worst part of my summer. I had heard horror stories about the Halifax Metro Transit and I had braced myself for the worst.

Turns out it’s pretty cool. I talk exactly six minutes to the bus stop off Regency Park and the #21 bus brings me to Scotia Square. I take the bus at 7:16a.m. and I am at my desk by 7:53a.m. This includes walking to Hollis Street, greeting the cute Metro paperboy & thanking the Boston Pizza guy for handing out free Chronicle Herald papers!!

I get to read and listen to John Mayer and let someone else stress with the driving. My current commute read: Jen Lancaster’s memoirs. She actually had a chapter about commuting in her second novel and I actually read it WHILE I was on the bus!!

So to all of those out there who drive their own cars, you don’t know what you’re missing!

Bonsoir,
PR Girl

Urban vs. Rural

Bonjour to all!

The past couple of months have been filled with excitement and question marks. Graduation week was a great time to reminisce about the past four years and to be recognized for all those long hours in the Mount library.

And then reality hit. We no longer have to attend scheduled classes, follow a syllabus or know the office hours of our professor. This realization is terrific! Now what next?
Many of my friends are experiencing a transitory stage in their lives. Some of them want to stay in lovely rural Chéticamp and some of us want to settle down in lively urban Halifax.

So what are the main differences between these two amazing locations?


Urban
- A restaurant at every corner showcasing every culture in the world
- Starbucks
- Public Gardens & Point Pleasant Park
- The Farmer`s Market
- A cute little apartment

Rural- Seasonal restaurants where each restaurant specializes in either Acadian or seafood cuisine.
- Tim Hortons
- The Cabot Trail
- Actual farms!
- My mother's house overlooking the mountains

I love these two places for very distinct reasons. Deciding to stay in Halifax does not mean I do not love the rural lifestyle; it just means it`s something I can look forward to when I vacation home!

No matter where I live, I love exploring my surroundings and I can't wait for my first summer here in sunny Halifax.

Welcome to summer everyone!
PR Girl

#SATC2

I am back in the city and just got back from watching Sex and the City 2; life is good! The movie was amazing! Anyone who has watched the seasons NEEDS to go and watch this one with their girlfriends. I’m almost positive it was even better than the first one (which I have watched 7 times on DVD).

The downfall of watching this movie? I have a sudden craving to purchase copious amounts of shoes, bracelets and “J’adore Dior” t-shirts. I wonder if my newfound love for the Halifax Public Library can help cure my shopping cravings.

I spent the last week in lovely Cape-Breton where I had a chance to watch daytime television. Sarah Jessica Parker and the whole gang were on every simple show. Because I am a pro at multitasking, I often surfed the web while watching these shows. #SATC2 tweets were everywhere and facebook events were being advertised for the premier night. The world of social media was re-inventing what premier week meant. SKY vodka actually created four unique drinks for each of the Sex and the City character; now that’s good PR!

Have a fabulous weekend,
PR Girl

Graduation week

So it’s official; it’s graduation week. My years of checking off the “student” box are almost done. After long hours spent in the library and three day weekends, I am saying goodbye to it all Thursday afternoon.

The event brings mixed feelings. I am pumped to get my degree because of all the effort I put into it. The graduation itself will actually be fun because I’ll get to see everybody in the PR program for one last time. But on the other hand, bidding farewell to the Mount campus is a bit sad. Although I will not miss climbing up Seton Road several times a week, the Mount campus has been my home away from home for the past four years; that has to count for something.

We have a PR Grad banquet tonight! I can hardly wait. My mom and I will head to the Waterfront Warehouse after supper for the event. It will be great to catch up with everybody before tomorrow’s two hour long graduation.

So to sum up, I am a lover of special events and graduation is no exception. I am going to drink it all in and enjoy every minute of it!

Happy long weekend,
PR Girl

Toes in the water, ass in the sand

Hola Amigos y Amigas,

Well I am back in beautiful Halifax after a great 7 day vacation in amazing Punta Cana. It was the most relaxing week I have ever had. It's exactly what I needed after a busy and often stressful four years at the Mount.

I had been down south before with my mother several years ago but I had forgotten how amazing it was. We stayed at NH Real Arena and my friends and I don't have one negative thing to say about the resort. Everything was clean and well-maintained. I recommend this resort to everyone! We were treated like queens. Felix made us personalized omelettes each morning and Roberto served us el vino at night.

Now in true Cape-Breton fashion, I had my share of drinks. I even had champagne with my breakfast. We all fell in love with the Santa Domingo coffee and brought some back home for those early mornings.

I feel like the pictures don't even show how beautiful this place really was!

Having no cell phones or laptops was really something I needed. I think everyone should treat themselves to a little R&R from time to time.

Adios,

PR Girl

Finito..Banana Mama anyone?!

Bonjour everyone,

So my four years at the Mount are over! I no longer have to climb that mountain to get my apartment. Gone are the days where I have to find quarters to do laundry! Life is good; but life is also a bit stressful.

I am moving to an amazing apartment up in Clayton Park this weekend (I'm going up in the world). After a nice week at home with my friends, I am ready to get things unpacked and organized at my new place. Cleaning and organizing are two things I'm actually good at; so this weekend should be fun!

And after we're done with the spring cleaning of the apartment (I'm moving in with one of my good friends), I'm forgetting the fact that I am now in the real world and flying to Punta Cana in a week with two of my best friends!!! We are going to the NH Arena and the people from home who have been to this particular resort only had great things to say about it!!

I cannot wait to practice yoga on the beach, lounge around the pool and drink lots of amazing drinks!!

I'll report back after my lovely getaway,

PR Girl

Sunny Easter Weekend

As I sit down to write this blog post and sip on some much needed coffee, I am happy to say that my suitcase is unpacked and my laundry is in the dryer. I went home to Cape-Breton for Easter weekend and had a blast!

Although I will end up living in Halifax for most of my life, I have to say that going home for a couple of days was great. I completely forgot about my school work, sipped on wine and watched Grey’s Anatomy & Private Practice on a high definition television (thank god!).

And for whoever wasn’t outside on Sunday, I simply ask WHY?! It was probably close to 25 degrees on my deck! PARADIS! Now let me remind you, we’re still in the beginning of April so I didn’t apply sunscreen. Flash forward a few hours and say hello to a lovely sunburn on my shoulders! I love the sun but my skin was certainly not ready for a whole afternoon in the sun!

And although I just turned 22, I was pumped to receive my mother’s chocolate basket (notice the printer ink and contact lenses!) and to decorate easter eggs Saturday afternoon.

Is there such a thing as a chocolate hangover?

It’s great to be back for the home stretch!!
PR GIRL,
Nat

My Prized Possession

I wrote this piece for our Advanced Public Relations Writing class and thought I'd share. We received comments on the piece this morning and then the piece is being turned into a podcast next week. It's my final individual PR assignment!

PR Girl
__

My prized possession represents a loved one who was taken away from us much too soon. I wear my aunt Denise’s ring on my left middle finger. Its five dainty diamonds stand strong on a gold platform and sparkle when the sun hits them. The gold band is elegant and had to be resized to fit my petite hand. The ring often captivates my attention during boring morning classes or when I wait for the bus. On days that I forget to wear the delicate ring, my hand feels naked and I get a sense that a part of me is missing.

My aunt, who I always called tante Denise, lost her battle with colon cancer seven years ago and left a young son behind. She was like a second mother to me. I will remember her passion and zest for life. In a way, the ring represents everything she was: bright, elegant, and full of energy. She had received the ring as a Christmas gift from her best friend and she had truly cherished the ring. When she passed away,

I received this beautiful ring as a way to remember my aunt. I will always have a part of her with me. The ring reminds me of the importance of family and to never forget the individuals that have impacted your life. Although she is no longer with me, I still feel tante Denise’s presence each day as I look down to this beautiful ring.

Spring is in the air!

I don’t know if anyone else has noticed, but the weather in Halifax has been perfect for the past week. Mother Nature is giving us the perfect weather for walks, cardigans and sunglasses.

Although it’s crunch time here at the Mount, I have been able to keep my stress level to a minimum. Vitamin D is honestly the best remedy to any situation. I had lunch outside after two classes on Wednesday and I instantly felt my anxiety about final assignments fade away.

So if final assignments and exams have got you stressed out in a cubicle in the library, please take a half hour break to go outside. Cindy Day has predicted that Halifax will see temperatures as high way 17 tomorrow; so bring your books outside and let the tanning/studying multi-tasking begin!

PR Girl,
Natalie

The end is so close it's scary

Bonjour everyone,

We had one of our last PR Grad meetings today. My graduating ring is on my right hand. My graduation pictures have been purchased.

It's no surprised that this part of our lives is stressful. For me, the most surprising aspect of this last PR semester are the rainbow of emotions I feel everyday. The days spent in the link and in the library stressing about assignments are slowly becoming to an end. Sometime this makes me extremely anxious and sometimes I am so happy about it.

My days now consist of applying for a wide variety of jobs, writing cover letters and over analyzing the future. Yoga is often needed to calm my nerves. The sunshine is also helping!

My dream career is to do commununications/public relations for Lulelemon Athletica!! Writing a social media plan while wearing my groove pants would be awesome. Hey, a girl can dream!

Night,
PR Girl

Turning off the social media switch?

It's finally here! The long awaited 2010 Study Break. Items have been checked off my to-do list, chapters have been read and midterms have been written. It is not time to head home for some much needed relaxing time. But will I be able to decrease the time I spend on Facebook and Twitter?

Now that I have a small and convenient laptop, it’s tempting to be connected 24/7. But for this study break, I am going to attempt to only allow myself one half hour per day on my laptop. Just long enough to check my e-mail, facebook, twitter and the weather! Chéticamp is too beautiful of a place for me to spend my time sitting with my laptop!

I am heading home and catching up on some books; nothing public relations related. I am watching the Olympics and reading the paper in the leisurely way I used to read it. I am going to practice yoga, watch some tv, read books and hopefully go snowshoeing with a few friends.

Happy Study Break to my fellow students. Enjoy your week-long break!
Namaste,
PR Girl

For the love of the sport

It’s finally the final days before my long awaited Spring Break. And as I try to find the motivation to write a speech for my crisis communications class, I hear the “I believe” song playing on the TV in the living room. What’s most on our minds on this love weekend are the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

My roommates and I stayed up Friday night to watch the opening ceremonies and it was amazing. What I enjoyed the most about the event were the Facebook and Twitter updates I was monitoring from friends and peers. Tweets included performer’s names, comical remarks and background information that I wouldn’t have received otherwise. I got the sense that everyone was reuniting together for the event. The next two weeks are going to rock!

Now I will be the first to admit that I am not a sporty person. But you can't help getting goosebumps as Gretzky was running with the Olympic torch!

We all know that the world is fast becoming a smaller place. I think this will be emphasized during the Winter Games. Following your favorite athletes has never been easier with the Lulu blog and facebook friends posting pictures of sporting events.
So we take a day to tell those we love how much they really mean to us, let’s not forget to cheer on our athletes!

Love,
PR Girl

Cape-Breton kitchen party

My aunt and cousin at our holiday kitchen party. Any type of social situation is a great opportunity to meet people!


Aisle 2, seat B18; the best seat in the house. I attended one of the Pop Series concert last Friday with two of my best friends. Ashley MacIsaac was the featured artists and the talent on that stage was amazing. I had been waiting for months for this show and it certainly met my expectations.

As the symphony tuned their instruments, I knew we were in for a great night. I have always felt connected to the symphony as some of their members visit Chéticamp every summer to participate in the musical “Le Grand Cercle”. I have been dancing in the musical for four years and have always been impressed by the musicians’ talents and professionalism. It was great to see some familiar faces on stage.

In a twisted turn of events, the night made me reflect on my public relations career. In every social occasion in our lives, we are introduced to individuals. We are likely given business cards but we oftentimes forget the individual’s name even before the event is over. I think in the small PR world of Halifax, knowing the right people and working on your credibility are two key things. Let me explain with an example.

As my friends and I exited the auditorium after the energetic two-hour production, I ran into the CEO of the Greater Halifax Partnership, Paul Kent. I had a positive third co-op work term at the Partnership so it was great to catch-up.

So you never know who you will bump into at professional and personal social events and who may in the end guide you with your career. You may even bump into some familiar faces at a Cape-Breton kitchen party.

Happy networking,
PR Girl

Finding your tree pose

Let’s face it; being a university student has its limitation. Student loans and high tuition fees are forcing students to become overwhelmed with debt. After my graduation in May, I will have to begin paying my provincial and federal student loans, as well as a line of credit I received from the bank.

So what does a student do to release this stressful financial dilemma? I practice yoga. Between all the assignments, readings and group meetings, my yoga mat brings me peace. Being from a small Acadian community, I had never been exposed to yoga before I moved to Halifax. In high school, gym classes were reserved for sports such as baseball, soccer and basketball.

I was introduced to yoga at Lululemon’s Sunday morning complimentary yoga classes. The organization prides itself in providing various tools to encourage healthy lifestyles. I was skeptical at first about yoga; forcing my brain to slow down for one full hour was challenging at first.

And then I slowly got the hang of it. I kept going to the Sunday morning classes with my roommate and slowly broadened my practice. I attempted hot yoga at Moska Yoga just off of Spring Garden. I loved it because it allowed my muscles to relax further into the pose. It was great because the studio provides great deals for students.

Maybe yoga is not for you. But in a world where things are going way too fast, we all need to find a little peace!


Namaste,
PR Girl

Busy week at the Mount

My birthday week is now over. After many drinks and lots of laugh, I am officially 22years old. This week at the Mount was really busy with lots of activities.
Our grad ring ceremony was Wednesday night and it was great to receive recognition for the past four years. The ring fits perfectly and I like the style of it.

I spent Friday afternoon supporting Wish Day. Each year, the housing staff organizes a day-long event to support the organization. The activities were held in Vinnie’s Pub.

Have a great weekend everyone! I will be spending the remaining part of my weekend in the library preparing for the upcoming week.

Cheers,
PR Girl

Grad ring & Champagne

As my final semester in PR begins to get stressful, I am declaring January 20th as a day of rest! Why you ask? Well tomorrow is going to be a good one! First of all, it’s by birthday- a fact that many of my friends have already reminded me on my Facebook wall. Second, I am getting my Mount Saint Vincent University grad ring (a perfect excuse to dress up)!

So no readings or typing up crisis plans tomorrow! I am celebrating with a lovely starbucks latte, wine and will top it all off at the Lower Deck with a green apple martini. Because let’s face it- all work and no play is no fun.

I think we can all sometimes get caught up in work and forget to take time for ourselves. I have found this particularly challenging as I am taking a course overload to graduation five months earlier. Finding time for myself often means a coffee date with a friend or a yoga class. Reading and attending classes all day with no breaks would lead me the path of insanity.

So tomorrow night, I will not be reading the required readings for the Thursday morning Research Class (I never actually read them anyways) as I will be toasting my 22nd year on this wonderful planet with my friends and my new Mount ring.

Cheers,
PR Girl

Holiday Hiatus

Good evening everyone,

I just noticed that my last blog post was before my Christmas break. It just seems so long ago!

I went back to Cape-Breton for the Holiday break to recharge. I got to hear some good fiddle tunes, drink some whiskey and enjoy some much needed time with friends. A perk about being in Cheticamp is that I got to talk French for more than two weeks. I even noticed that my accent was thicker once I returned to Halifax on January 2nd.

I stayed current with the rest of the world via twitter during my time home. It's amazing how fast I received newsworthy article. Living in a rural community, the Chronicle Herald often only arrived during lunch time. By the time the paper was delivered to our doorsteps, I was usually off doing something else with friends. sipping on my morning coffee while reading the paper has become one of my citygirl ritual; using social media tools helped me do just that. Another interesting thing I realized when I was in Cape-Breton; I hate Tim Horton's coffee!

It's great to be back in the city I love! Tomorrow morning? Lululemon twisting yoga:)

Bonsoir,
PR Girl