Nice Girl: Adopt a US Soldier

Hey nice girls!

After talking to several people at BW who have adopted a soldier I was inspired to adopt one of my own.  A few days ago I visited www.adoptaussoldier.org and applied to be apart of the non-profit organization.  I applied on Sunday evening and I was so excited I was constanly checking my email to see if I received the information on my adopted soldier.  Finally yesterday I received the email with my soldiers information and I immediately emailed John to introduce myself. 

Last night in the middle of the night I received an email back from John.  I was so excited to hear from  him.  He introduced himself to me and expressed how excited he was to be adopted.  Let me tell you I couldn’t have felt better about putting a smile on this man’s face.  I am looking forward to getting to know him better while he is serving our country and when he returns home. 

If you are reading this blog I challenge you to take five minutes out of your day and apply to adopt a soldier.  This is a great way to give back and be involved with something bigger than yourself.  You have the opportunity to email your soldier and also send them care packages.  Maybe even some day you can meet them and their families if you become close enough with them.  I can’t explain how I felt when I received my first email back from John.  I know the US soldiers would be excited, and thrilled to be adopted by someone like you. 

If you decide to adopt a soldier of your own write to me in the comments below.  I have high hopes you will get involved and adopt a soldier.  I hope you are having a great Wednesday!  Be fierce, be fabulous and remember nice girls always finish first.

BrittneeNoel 

Brittnee you have been randomly chosen to...

Hey everyone!!

What a great first day back to BW yesterday.  I’m excited to say I really like all of my classes I am taking this semester.  The day started off great with Business Ethics, Accounting, and then International marketing and I ended the day with line dancing. 

Line dancing was by far the best class of the day. In class we learned two line dances.  Being a cheerleader for many years helped me to pick up on the dances quickly so I was able to dance and have fun instead of concentrating on the dance itself.  This was a great way to end the day.  I am looking forward to Wednesday and the next set of dances I will learn. 

Besides line dancing I think I am really going to enjoy my international marketing class.  I am 

really looking forward to learning how different cultures market their products and how they react to marketing in general.  I think it will be a great class to continue learning about and exploring diversity. 

Side note: This morning I woke up to an email from BW saying I was randomly selected as a senior to participate in an assessment test.  Of course I do not have a choice but to take this test because they will not allow me to schedule for second semester if I fail to not show up to take this assessment. The email says I am not being graded or assessed but BW as an institution is being assessed.  I had to laugh because I’m not sure if I am the best candidate to be taking the assessment because I cannot take a standardized test to save my life.  I apologize for my score now BW… maybe you should have checked out my ACT score before you “randomly” selected me. Bahahaha!

I am patiently waiting for an exciting email and I cannot wait to blog about this fabulous opportunity I am taking part in.  Hopefully I will get the email today or tomorrow and I’ll be able to post about it.  It will be a Nice Girl post so check back for it!

I hope classes are going great, you are having fun, believing in yourself and remembering nice girls always finish first!

BrittneeNoel 

Sunday Inspiration

Hey everyone.  

Have you ever had one of those days where you need a little inspiration, motivation or a fun quote to keep you going?  Here are some of my favorites quotes I have found on  Pinterest that inspire, motivate and keep me going.  

I hope you are enjoying your Sunday.  And remember, nice girls always finish first. 

BrittneeNoel 

The excitement of school: Grade School vs. College

Hey Nice girls!

I feel awful for leaving you hanging the past few weeks.  I have been booked solid with RA training and preparing the resident halls for everyone to move in.  I know most of you are looking forward to my college room tour.  I will get to it as soon as I can.  I was planning to film it today however my allergies have left me with a hoarse voice.  My voice is deep and sounds manly.  Therefore I will film the video as soon as my normal voice decides to return. 

Last night I was lying in bed thinking back to grade school and how excited I used to be to go back to school.  Do you remember the excitement of  the first day of school and your teacher giving you your new planner or how excited you were to have your teachers pass out your books for the year?  I still get the same kind of excitement when I am picking out my new planner for the new school year.  However, I can say I do not get excited about buying my books for college.  They are expensive and heavy.  I wonder if I would still be excited about getting new books if I was not paying for them.    

The night before school started I would lay out my clothes and shoes the night before.  I double checked my backpack to make sure I had everything I needed and I would pack my lunch.  With that being said, I still lay out my first day back outfit and I double check my tote bag for the basic college necessities.  You all know what I am talking about… pens, pencils, notebook, folders and books.  I miss the days when I walked into my classroom and would pull out my art box with my new markers and crayons and slide it into my desk.  Do you think the professors would wonder what I was doing if I brought an art box to every class?

I also miss RECESS!  Who doesn’t miss running around outside playing tag, kickball or just crossing the monkey bars?  My elementary school had one of the upside down bowls with the holes climb thing…. This is what I am talking about

I used to love playing on this and hanging upside down.  I would show off my "upside down skills" everyday.  The worst part of recess for me were the "recess monitors" or the fun suckers (shout out to my mom- you know why I'm laughing).  I remember when someone would get in trouble they would have to "stand on the wall".  Basically you had to stand with your back on the wall until it was time to go inside.  Thankfully I never had to do this but some of my ornery friends had to.  

I wish I would still get this excited about school starting again.  This year is so bitter sweet because I will be graduating in May.  I can't believe I am a senior in college already.  I feel like it was just yesterday that I graced the stage in my pink high heels at my high school graduation.  Yes I really did wear pink high heels... here is a picture just in case you do not believe me.

What do you miss most about elementary school, middle school or high school?  I hope everyone has a great transition into the new semester.  I wish you the best of luck with your studies and activities.  Hold onto every moment because this year will be over before we know it.  And remember, nice girls always finish first!

BrittneeNoel 

What I will miss most about home

Hey everyone. 

Tonight is my last night in my room, my shower, my bed and my house until I move home for winter break.  I come home a lot during the semester but it is really never the same when all of my stuff is not in the proper places at home. 

While I was relaxing this evening I was thinking about all the things I will miss while I am away at school.  I wanted to talk about a few of my favorite things about home.

Although while most college students run off to college, never call their parents or never make a trip home I am the complete opposite.  I will drive home in the evenings just because I want to see my parents or just because I need a little time away from campus.  I call my mom at least 20 times a day and sometimes she calls me just as much.  The thing I will miss most about being at home is seeing my parents every day.  I’ll miss the “Hi Punk” when my dad walks through the door when he is home from work and I will miss the “delicious” home cooked meals my mom prepares.  I placed delicious in quotes for you mom!  I may not say it enough but I do enjoy coming home to your cooking instead of the unions.  Of course I will also miss my dog Cooper or as we call him poopie.  We named him Cooper.  Cooper turned into Coopie and Coopie turned into poopie.  Weird I know but that’s the little guy’s name.  He is a hand full but it is always nice to see him run to you when you open the door to come into the house.

Second in line are my relaxing baths.  I love a nice, relaxing bath in the evening to calm down from the day.  Except in college you cannot take a bath.  When I was a freshman I was joking with a friend and told them I was going to purchase a large Tupperware container and let the shower fill it up and it would be like a bath.  We both laughed that I had even thought of such a thing.  Do not worry I never tried this it was only a joke.  When I am home for the weekends or I am home for a break I take advantage of the bath tub.  I will shower in the mornings and take a relaxing bath at night to try and catch up on the lost relaxation bath nights.  Maybe BW should give their RA’s their own bathroom and a shower with a tub.  I should really email someone about that.  Just kidding, it gives me a reason to come home. 

I will miss doing my laundry at home.  For you college students out there you know doing laundry in a dorm is almost impossible.  People forget about their clothes or they do not give you enough time to retrieve your items from the washer or drier before they are piling them on top of the washers.  Also, the water/washers at school tend to turn my white clothes to a nice shade of off-white.  I will save my nice whites to wash until I know I am going home so I can wash them in a nice washer.  Needless to say I miss my mommy doing my laundry when I am at BW. 

These are just a few things I will miss when I am away.  Trust me there are many, many more.  What are the things you miss most when you are away at school?  Feel free to share them with me and the rest of the readers in the comments below.  I hope everyone was able to get their packing done!  I turned my hot mess into a nicely stacked-I know where everything is hot mess.  Good night sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite.  (My grandma used to say this to me every night when she would tuck me in when I was sleeping over at her house when I was younger.)  And remember, nice girls always finish first. 

BrittneeNoel 

Disclaimer:  The pictures of the bathroom and the laundry room are from Pinterest and of course the picture of Cooper is mine. :)  

Hot mess packing

Hey everyone.  


I'm taking a break from packing my life into boxes and suit cases and I thought I would share some pictures with you.  

 My packing has become more of a hot mess then anything but it has to be done tonight since I leave tomorrow morning at 9:00am! 

  I am excited to get back into the swing of things and see my friends.  I am looking forward to fall recruitment to bring all the new lovely ladies into the sorority community at BW.  Of course I am also looking forward to Bid Day so I can go back to my sorority instead of living in Rho Gam land.

 This fall and spring semester are a little bittersweet for me because it is my last year in college.  I think I will be growing up a lot faster than I want to.  

 After I get everything unpacked and put away I will do a quick video blog so you can see what my dorm room looks like.  

I think my parents will be happy to have their basement back after I get everything moved out of there.  I am off to make lunch and continue packing.  Happy packing for those of you moving back in to college.  I hope you are having a fantastic Tuesday!  And remember, nice girls always finish first.


BrittneeNoel 

Book Nook: Page Art

Hey Nice Girls! 

Welcome to my very first Book Nook post.  I thought I would kick off this fun sequence with some fun pictures I found on Pinterest.  Have you ever heard of or seen book page folding art?  If you have no idea what i am talking about check out these really cool pictures I came across. 

I have never heard of such a thing and I had to share them with you!  How cool are these books?  I would love to have one of my favorite books folded like this.  If you could have your favorite book folded what book would it be and what word would you have folded into the pages?  I would pick Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller and I would have the word believe folded into the pages.  

I do not think I would have the patience to sit and fold pages like this but I give props to the man that does.  According to Lyndsey's research (Lyndsey is the author of the alovelylittleblog where I first came across a picture of three books folded like this) the talented mans name is Isaac G. Salazar and he is self taught.  As of now he has a waiting list until 2013.  This is such a great accomplishment.  Check out Lyndsey's blog for posts about everything lovely.  If you click on the link above it will take you to the page where she posted the picture she found.  

I am looking to increase my book collection and I am asking for your help!  Have you recently read a good book you think I would enjoy?  Please let me know the title and author of the book in the comments below.  Thanks for reading.  And remember, nice girls always finish first. 

BrittneeNoel   

Nice Girl: Is it more important to be honest or loyal?

Hey Everyone.


It has been awhile since I have posted a real “Nice Girl” post. The last one I posted was “I challenge you to... SMILE. If you are nice girl reader you know I love to write about everything under the sun. However, you may not know my favorite posts are the one where I talk about a small gesture, providing motivation to you and talking things I have learned over the years. While I was searching for a new and fun blog to write about (my creativity is just not working today) I came across this questions. “Is it more important to be honest or loyal?” I knew as soon as I read the question I was going to make it the next “Nice Girl” post.

To me being honest is always telling the truth, being sincere and genuine. An honest person is trustworthy, responsible and reliable. Loyal means to be faithful to your commitments and obligations. Together an honest and loyal person is trustworthy, responsible, reliable, faithful and committed.

This question is a simple one. I truly believe being honest and being loyal go hand in hand. I think you cannot be loyal without being honest and I think you cannot be honest without being loyal. Think about it for a second. If you are a loyal friend or family member you are always honest. You tell the truth no matter the circumstances. And if you are an honest person you are always loyal to those you love and care about. You are committed to helping in any way you can and you are always true to your word. Although it may be hard to tell the truth and always be honest in the end you are a better person for it. Do your best to be true to yourself, friends and family. Find friends you know you can count on and always remember your family.

What do you think? Is it more important to be honest or loyal? Or do you think they go hand in hand? Let me know in the comments below.

Be loyal, be honest, be a friend, be committed and faithful. And remember, nice girls always finish first.

BrittneeNoel

Picture is from Pinterest

Spotlight

Hey Nice girls!

I have updated the spotlight page!  Please check it out.  I am spotlighting the True Beauty Movement.  This is a great cause.  :)

Have a great day!  And remember, nice girls always finish first.

BrittneeNoel

Blog Request: Back to school outfits

Hey Nice girls, happy Wednesday.  I hope you are enjoying the last few days/ weeks of summer.  I can’t believe it is almost time to move back in and start my senior year.  With back to school right around the corner I received a blog request asking for some great back to school outfit ideas. 

When I think of going back to school in the fall I picture new shoes, jeans, makeup and cute tops!  A great way to see what the fall fashions are is to either shop online or visit the stores to see what the mannequins are sporting. 

Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe are great stores to shop at if you are shopping on a college girl’s budget.  These stores have cute clothes for great prices.  Charlotte Russe and Forever 21 usually have good sales going on as well. 

Don’t forget about Express, The Limited and Jones New York.  Although these are a few of my favorite stores they can be a bit pricey but they are a good place to shop if you are looking for fall business clothes for an internship or for work. 

These are a few outfits I suggest:

1.    Jeans, a cute top/ graphic tee, flip flops or flats.  Don’t be afraid to rock a cute pair of heels if you are wearing long jeans.  Just make sure the heel is an appropriate height for you to walk in.  

2.    Capri’s, a cute top/ graphic tee, flip flops or flats.

3.    Jean shorts and a cute top/ graphic tee.  I am a snow baby and get cold so easily.  If I wear shorts and a t-shirt to class I always take a light sweater with me just in case I get cold. 

4.    Sundress with a light sweater, cute wedges, flip flops or flats

5.    If you are having a casual day do not be afraid of a pair of yoga pants, a high messy pony tail, cute t-shirt and fun athletic shoes.

6.    I also love to wear hats.  Hats are a great way to hide a bad hair day or to cover up the “I didn’t have time to wash my hair this morning” kind of hair.    

Visit my favorite places by clicking on the Store.

Express

Forever 21 ( I am not sure why this is the only purple link... weird) 

Jones New York

The Limited

Charlotte Russe

I know I get into the bad habit of wearing sweats to class all the time as I know most college students do.  I usually look nice for class the first 2 weeks of school then I slowly move into comfortable sweat pants.  All most every girl moves from cute and sassy clothes to comfortable and sleepy clothes.  Try to challenge yourself to go as long as possible to look cute and sassy.  Go to bed an hour earlier and wake up more than 15 minutes before your first class.  I promise if you get into a good sleeping schedule you will have no problem looking cute and sassy all semester long. 

I hope these few ideas will help you to look fierce, fabulous and well put together when classes start.  What do you think of an outfit of the day post?  Is this the type of thing you would like to read about or would you rather have it in a video blog?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.  Also, share your favorite back to school outfits and your preferred places to shop. 

Love you guys!  And remember, nice girls always finish first.

BrittneeNoel

Fun Ideas, Cute sayings and a fabulous Sunday

Happy Sunday! 

I hope everyone is having an enjoyable weekend.  I'm currently sitting at the tanning salon

anxiously waiting for closing time.  I'm excited to say I have checked off one of my August goals.  Today I was able to finish the Time Traveling Fashionista by Bianca Turetsky.  The salon is slow today because it is so beautiful outside.  I'm sitting behind the desk at work trying to imagine myself laying outside by the pool soaking up the sunshine.  But instead I am sitting at work cleaning tanning beds and writing to all of you. 

I have been all over Pinterest looking for fun ideas and cute saying to share with all of you on this fabulous Sunday afternoon.  Take a look at what I cam across.

Like any other girly girl I love to get flowers from someone.  However I would give up my flowers for this cute bouquet of cupcakes.  There is never an easier way to get to a girls heart then with cute cupcakes and pink icing. 

I thought this was a cute way to remind everyone to be supportive of everyone's dreams.  Although it may not be something you are interested in remember to stay positive when talking about another person's dreams, goals and ambitions. 

I wonder how my mom would feel if she came home one day and I painted the front door and shutters pink... Considering her and my dad will be out of town soon this has definite possibilities!

How come I never thought of this?   Everyone has those little square bread tabs lying around somewhere!  What a great way to organize all of your cords throughout your house or dorm room.  With this easy fix you will never have to pull on random cords again. 

I am dream of the day when I have my very own cute book nook like this.  This is a great way to have extra sitting space but also a great spot to enjoy your favorite books. 

I hope you are having a fabulous and relaxing Sunday!  And remember, nice girls always finish first.

BrittneeNoel

TGIF: A poem to make you laugh

Happy Friday!


Today I have been working hard to be creative and write a poem for you. I really enjoyed writing this post. This poem is meant to be silly and show off my creative side.  Enjoy :)

I rolled out of bed feeling kind of sassy

I put my jeans on to look cute and classy.

I drove to work with my windows down

And jammed to my music going through the town.

Made the decision to double major

I’ll be so busy I’ll need a pager.

I’m excited to start my senior year

But I can’t believe classes are so near.

So for now I’ll relax and enjoy the summer

Because soon it will be over, what a bummer!

What do you think of my little poem? I realize I am no Emily Dickinson but I thought it was cute. Feel free to write a fun poem in the comments below. Have a fantastic weekend. And remember, nice girl always finish first!

BrittneeNoel

Summer Favorites

Hey there, hi there, how do you do?



It’s time for a FAVORITE’S blog! Many of you have told me you miss my monthly favorites so to make up for it I am doing a summer favorites post. I’m going to talk about my favorite foods, products, books, websites, hair and clothing for the summer. This is going to be a long one so sit back, relax and enjoy!

Food:  One of my favorite things about summer is fresh fruit.  I have really been enjoying blueberries, peaches and watermelon.  These are great healthy snacks that help fill you up and make you feel good.  I really enjoying have some type of fruit after a workout.  This allows me to have a snack but also reassures me I’m not ruining my workout.  I have also been enjoying bagel thins.  These are a great way to enjoy a sandwich and not feeling like you ate too much bread.  They only have 110 calories so they are on the healthier side.  I’m not a big sandwich fan but I do love a PB&J bagel sandwich.   With the heat this summer I have been reaching in the fridge for water a lot more than I normally do.  I feel like drinking water is the only way to make sure I am properly hydrated during the hot days.  If you don’t like the taste of water add a little flavor with a lemon, cucumber or mint.  This will help to tone down the boring taste of water.  My favorite treat this summer has been Jolly Ranchers.  These are great treats during the work day, after lunch or dinner and it also helps with my sweet tooth.  The cherry Jolly Ranchers are my favorite.

Books: If you are an avid nice girl you know how much I love to read. I love to curl up with a good book and read the day away. My two favorite books for this summer are Water for Elephants and 13 Reasons Why. These are great books and I highly recommend each of them. These books are page turners and I could not put them down. If you are going on a long car ride or traveling somewhere grab one of these books and before you know it you will be at your destination. Look out for the new post sequence I will be starting called “Book Nook”. I will talk about a recent book I read, a quote I enjoyed and the trouble I had learning to read and much, much more.


Clothing: As I have mentioned in past posts this summer I am in love with cute, fun summer dresses. These are a great way to stay cool. Sun dresses are great for any occasion- you can be casual with flip flops or be a little fancier with a cute pair of heels. Either way you will look and feel great!


Products: I’m in love with my Paul Mitchell clip less curling iron. However I do not enjoy the finger burns I usually get from holding the hair. If you are familiar with a clip less iron you know how close your fingers are to the heat. OUCH! But I love how my hair curls when I use a clip less iron. I have also been reaching for my Niva chapstick. With the summer sun and heat I have had really dry chapped lips. This chapstick is one of the best. I use the one in the royal blue tube it does not have SPF in it but it does the trick!


Websites: Check out http://www.alovelylittleblog.com/ for a blog about all things lovely. This is my favorite blog that I follow. Also check out http://pinterest.com/aka my new obsession!


Hair: I love a side twist in my hair. This helps to hold my bangs out of my face and this is a quick and easy way to turn a boring pony tail into a cute hair style. I do not know how to french braid my hair so a side twist works great for me!


I hope this allows you to get your “fix” on my monthly favorites. I tried my best to incorporate all the products and other things I have been enjoying this summer. Hopefully I will have the time start up my monthly favorites again in September.


What are your summer favorites? Post your name and a link or your favorite product in the comments below and depending on how many comments there are I will do a post featuring your summer favorites. Remember to send in your blog requests and your ideas for future blogs. And remember, nice girls always finish first.


BrittneeNoel

August 2011 Goals- What will you do this month?

Hey friends!

Do you remember the last time you set a goal and reached it? Do you remember how you felt when you achieved it? I bet you had a huge smile on your face and you enjoyed a great day with a celebratory lunch or maybe you skipped lunch and set a few more goals to work towards. No matter how you celebrated your achievement I bet you felt accomplished and realized you were one step closer to your dream. By setting goals and achieving them I believe we are building the yellow brick road to our futures.

Because I think goal setting is so important I want to start doing a monthly post about my goals and if I was able to achieve them. I hope this will be an interactive post and you will share a few of your goals with me in the comments below. I would love to read them.

Here are my August goals. These are listed in no particular order.

* Finish one of the two books I am reading before classes start

* Continue to work out. I do not want to state how many times a week I will work out because as we all know staying on track with your work outs can be challenging. I do not want to set myself up for failure.

* Clean my room entirely before I move back into college.

* Finish updating my blog tabs by the end of the month.


I think these are a few solid, achievable goals. I hope this will encourage you to set a few monthly goals and continue to build your yellow brick road. What is the biggest goal you have achieved? Mine was capturing the 2008 National American Miss Ohio Teen title. Share your goals in the comments below. And remember, nice girls always finish first.


BrittneeNoel

Picture Source: Pinterest

Picture Quote

Happy Wednesday Nice Girls!

I think I am slowly becoming obsessed with Pinterest.  I cannot help myself, I just want to share all of the cool items, DIY projects, quotes and other fun things I have come across on this fabulous website.  Once I feel like I have put together enough boards and pins I will write a post about the website and link my boards in the post so you can see my pins.  I'm sure you have no idea what I am talking about so here is a quick explanation.  The boards are like bulletin boards.  You pin things (pictures) on them that you like, love or a place you would love to travel to.  If this sounds confusing click the link, sign up and everything will make sense to you as soon as open your site.  Its fun, easy and a great way to show how unique you are.  

After a rough and stressful day I decided I would share another quote picture I found on Pinterest.  I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.  It definitely brightened up my day.  

What did you think of this saying?   Do you like the new motivational, fun, life related picture quotes?  Do you have a blog request or an idea for a future post?  Please leave all of your feedback in the comments below.  Don't forget about the smile challenge.  If you forgot about the challenge or would like to learn about it click here.  And remember, nice girls always finish first.

BrittneeNoel 

Did you put on your makeup today?

Hey Nice girls! 

I found this cute photo/saying on Pinterest and  I just wanted to share this with you. 

So tell me, did you put on your makeup today?  I hope you are having a fabulous Tuesday and remember, nice girls always finish first. 

BrittneeNoel

The Big Five-O

Hey there!

Happy 50^th blog post nice girls!  I cannot believe I am sitting here writing my 50^th post.  In 2010 when I decided to start my blog I had no idea I would ever reach over 3,000 page views and fabulous readers like you.  My goal was to create a place where I could write about all things girly and answer any and all of your questions.  I believe I have achieved this goal with your help.  I continue to write not only because I love my blog but because of all the kind words and encouragement I receive from all of you.  Thank you for being so loyal and amazing. 

I have been working hard to update my blog the last few days and I am so excited about the new look.  Make sure you check out the About me, Ask, FAQ, Memory and the Spotlight tabs.  Hang in there with me while I continue to update the new tabs. Let me know what you think of my new look in the comments below. 

My new blog goal is to increase the number of followers from 19-30 by the end of 2011.  Will you help me achieve my new goal?  If you do not officially follow my blog please take a few seconds to become a follower.  I would greatly appreciate it.

I know you all love to send in blog request and you all know I take forever to get back to them.  But I promise I am catching up on them and will continue to respond to you.  If you have a blog request you can always leave them in the comments below however if you want to make sure I see and fully understand your request send an email to allamericannicegirl@yahoo.com Subject: blog request.

Thank you again for making my blog a success.  I hope you are having a great Monday and first day of August!  And remember, nice girls always finish first!

BrittneeNoel