March 2022 - The Pink Chickadee

The Life of Katie!

Cherry blossoms, Starbucks features, and hustling – OH MY! If you follow me on Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!), then you know that all has been a whirlwind for me recently. Life has been crazy in a good way recently AND I probably say this about every single The Life of Katie! blog post, yet here we go again – haha!! The life of Katie has been a crazy good recently, with Spring coming in the air yet going again and the process happening all over again, a peaceful week schedule-wise, and a reshare BY STARBUCKS of my content on their own page. Needless to say, it’s been going well over here at The Pink Chickadee. Updates, as always, are listed below.

A freezing weekend at the Tidal Basin – Over the weekend, my best friend Shivani and I headed out to the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC to see the cherry blossoms as apart of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. It was most definitely a zoo at the Tidal Basin, as the cherry blossoms were in peak bloom then, too. I remember vividly getting off at Metro and there being literal stampedes of people getting off – haha! The stampedes continued throughout the walk to the Tidal Basin as well. However, what neither Shivani nor I expected was there to be rain and sleet *yes, rain AND sleet in the end of March* while we were walking. Thankfully though, the rain and sleet was not as drastically impactful as to damper our day at the Tidal Basin nor keep us from seeing those drop dead gorgeous cherry blossoms. Indeed, the weather was all simply apart of our fun journey to the Tidal Basin!
A girl’s weekend staycation in Ballston, Arlington, Virginia with my best friend Shivani – My trek to the Tidal Basin with Shivani was all apart of a super duper fun staycation girl’s weekend with her at her apartment in Ballston, Arlington, Virginia. Before moving to the Washington, DC area, I had never heard of Ballston. BUT, once I did, I was in for a treat – Ballston is a super duper fun and lively suburb apart of Arlington, Virginia right outside of Washington, DC. Ballston, indeed, felt like a city outside of a city! Shivani and I enjoyed time simply catching up, as we went to the Tidal Basin, Clarendon (another suburb in Arlington), and explored Ballston a bit, too. We EVEN walked right by my best friend Bryn’s office for this summer!!
Making plans for this Spring & Summer! – Along with enjoying my plans for this early Spring season, I am also making plans for this upcoming Spring/Summer season. I have MANY plans already made, but there are also many more plans to be made this Spring/Summer too. I will be traveling quite a bit this Spring/Summer season and into the Fall as well, both near and far the Washington, DC area. Needless to say, I am VERY excited for it all!
Blast from the past early 2000’s movies on HBOMax – This week, I have been enjoying watching some essentially blast from the past early 2000’s movies (along with older episodes of Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix – what’s new there??!!) on HBOMax. So far, I have watched 27 Dresses and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Soon enough, I want to watch Bridgerton on Netflix as my good friends Holly of the Disney ears small business Glitter & Daisies (read her interview on the blog here and shop her GORGEOUS ears here!) and Lindsay of Sunshine & Stair Climbs (read her interview on the blog here!) are highly suggesting it to me. AND, I am excitedly awaiting Season 5 of Selling Sunset (April 22!!!) to appear on Netflix.
A content reshare by STARBUCKS!!!! – If you follow me on Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee), then you know that Starbucks reshared one of my photos on their social media pages! I was extremely excited to see that a well-known, international brand such as Starbucks wanted to reshare MY content (with my permission and crediting me, of course, Starbucks is SO sweet y’all!!). Funny enough, the photo that Starbucks reshared of mine was actually taken on a whim after getting Starbucks (my usual is a Mango Dragonfruit Refresher!) and discovered that a tree has blossomed beautifully while in Raleigh, North Carolina over President’s Day Weekend. So, in typical Katie fashion, I took a picture of my drink with the blooms: on a whim and without any plan in stow. The best lesson that I learned from Starbucks sharing my content is that all of us must be ourselves and keep doing us, everyone else is taken, so why be someone else?!

XOXO – Katie <3

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The #IfThenSheCan Exhibit that Empowers Women

If you follow me on Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!), then you know that I am a newly proud Woman in STEM. Being a Woman in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is all about empowering younger women to be the BEST versions of themselves – it’s about teaching younger girls to explore their passions within the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, rather than shy away from them simply because of their gender. It’s ALL about going after a dream and goals that empower us to be a minority within a field that has a male majority, whether that mean being the only woman within a science/technology/engineering/mathematics class, or the only woman in a meeting of all men at work. That being said, women in STEM make up under 30% of the STEM workforce to this day. So, when I heard that the #IfThenSheCan exhibit was coming to Washington, DC’s Smithsonian, I KNEW I had to visit!

The #IfThenSheCan Exhibit (learn more about it here!) is here to change that by showcasing 3-D printed statues 120 real-life women in the STEM industry, honoring their accomplishments within the industry as they pave the way for other women and younger girls to do the same themselves someday, too. The #IfThenSheCan Exhibit was on display at Washington, DC’s Smithsonian from March 5-27, 2022. One of the interesting insights that the #IfThenSheCan Exhibit’s website brings up is that the majority of statues around the United States’ major cities are of men. Indeed, the majority of statues are of men around the world, too. Us women are just starting to make our way in this world in ways that are beyond the household, including within STEM fields, executive leadership, and politics.

I happened to visit the #IfThenSheCan Exhibit twice – once with my good friend Shivani who is also a fellow Women in STEM and a second time with my coworker Katherine whose another fellow Woman in STEM and Shivani. The first time around, Shivani and I arrived on a Sunday afternoon at the Smithsonian Gardens, where a good portion of the 120 statues were placed around the Smithsonian. Before Shivani arrived, I ended up talking to a fellow Woman in STEM who worked with all men about the empowerment of being a women in STEM. Both of us agreed that there needs to be more representation of women of color, women apart of the LGBTQ+ community, women of all abilities, and those who are gender non-binary. Once Shivani arrived, we went inside the Smithsonian Castle and into the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History, which had many of the statues placed around the museum’s exhibits. The coolest part of the statues within the Museum of Natural History was that the statues were coordinated to the women’s specialties throughout the exhibits! For example, a woman who works in oceanography would be placed somewhere within the oceanography exhibits. The same concept went for archaeologists and biologists. And, the second time around, Katherine, Shivani, and I all admired the Smithsonian Gardens’ #IfThenSheCan Exhibit statues before heading to the Cherry Blossoms along the Washington Monument. Cool stuff all around!!

As a woman, it is extremely empowering to be able to succeed in a STEM field. I have been able to meet several women who are also in STEM fields, simply through viewing the #IfThenSheCan Exhibit. It is beyond extraordinary to see and learn and grow and blossom into this magnificent network of fellow Women in STEM. Here’s to strong women: may we raise them, may we empower them, and may we be them. Nevertheless, may we be the women that encourage another woman to pursue a career in STEM, too. Cheers!

XOXO – Katie <3

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24 Hours in Charlottesville, Virginia

Charlottesville, Virginia is located in the heart of the Virginia Wine Country, just over 2 hours from Washington, DC. It is home to the University of Virginia, our Founding Fathers Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe, and a plethora of wineries and history. A road trip to Charlottesville, Virginia is perfect, for everyone and all kinds of trips, whether celebratory, family, friends, or solo. I chose the latter and went on a solo road trip to Charlottesville, Virginia last weekend to see family for a work conference. Going to Charlottesville, Virginia on a road trip was nothing short of a blast!

What I Did

To start my road trip to Charlottesville, Virginia, I drove through the beautiful Virginia countryside on Route 29. Living in the Washington, DC suburbs of Northern Virginia, I drove through Virginia’s counties of Prince William County, Fauquier County, Culpeper County, Madison County, and Greene County to get to Charlottesville. Each of these counties are located in the heart of the Virginia countryside and Virginia Wine Country, filled with small businesses lining Route 29 and farms at every corner. True and utter beauty – so much that I wanted to stop at each and every single local business along the way as I jammed out to the 80’s channel on SiriusXM the entire way.

My first stop on my road trip to Charlottesville, Virginia: the University of Virginia. I parked my car right by the bookstore in the parking garage (they’re everywhere along the University of Virginia’s campus and parking lots, too) and set out to explore the campus. The University of Virginia was the first-ever public university in the state of Virginia and potentially the United States (I can’t remember – haha!!). This college was founded by former President Thomas Jefferson after his presidency as he was a resident of Charlottesville and wanted others to have an education like his own. I walked around the breathtaking Rotunda – the main draw to the University of Virginia and asked a student to show me where it was (students are SUPER helpful here!) – which had a statue honoring Thomas Jefferson, himself. After admiring the University of Virginia’s gorgeous and huge campus, I set sail for my conference networking event which was on the campus!

My second stop on my road trip to Charlottesville, Virginia was to see my Aunt Lisa, Uncle John, and cousins Mary, Joey, and Matthew who live in Charlottesville. We enjoyed some much-needed and enjoyable family time that we hadn’t had for years, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

My third stop on my road trip to Charlottesville, Virginia was to check out Grace Estate Winery with my Aunt Lisa and cousin Mary – a vineyard located along the Monticello Wine Trail in Crozet, Virginia which is a nearby-to-Charlottesville town located in the foothills of the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains. Grace Estate Winery is also a participating Virginia Wine Pass vineyard. The Virginia Wine Pass – which I am a pass holder of – allows for its pass holders to get discounts at its participating vineyards. This excursion to Grace Estate Winery was my first-EVER usage of my Virginia Wine Pass and it was great to treat my Aunt Lisa and cousin Mary to some discounted wine flights, too! Grace Estate Winery was a super duper adorable winery with gorgeous scenic views. It has a precious little selection of merchandise, including wine barrel planters. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of the wine there, the owner was the sweetest and the views were even more beautiful!

My fourth and final stop on my road trip to Charlottesville, Virginia was to nothing short of the Belk – yes, Belk!!! – in Charlottesville on Route 29! They do not have Belk’s in my home base of the Washington, DC area.

What To Do

There is A TON to do on a road trip to Charlottesville, Virginia! This past Fall, I visited Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello – his former homestead for the day and LOVED it. On the same token, there is SO MUCH that I want to do just in and around Charlottesville, Virginia!!

Tour James Madison’s Montpelier
Walk around the University of Virginia *yet again*
Explore downtown Charlottesville
Go on a Monticello Wine Trail crawl and visit 3-4 wineries in a day! (some of the wineries/vineyards include: Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards, King Family Vineyards, Afton Mountain Vineyards, and Veritas Vineyards and Winery)
Visit and enjoy local goods at Carter Mountain Orchard
Tour James Monroe’s Highland
Re-visit and tour Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello

All in all, I had an amazing time on my road trip to Charlottesville, Virginia and cannot wait to go again!

XOXO – Katie <3

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My Hybrid Work Essentials!

Ever since I started working in a hybrid format (going into the office 1-2 times/week), my hybrid work essentials have been adapted a bit. The other week, I *finally* purchased my second-ever Big Girl purchase – another LG monitor (linked below for your own sheer convenience)! If you follow me on Instagram, (follow me @_thepinkchickadee), then you know that I regularly share screenshots of the Netflix/Hulu/HBOMax/DisneyPLUS/YouTube content that I watch after work hours on my work monitor – haha oh, the PURE irony! Well, today, I’m going to be sharing the work from home and hybrid work essentials that I use for my own successes in the workforce on a daily basis for you to shop yourself, too. Besides The Dollar Tree, many of my hybrid work desk essentials come from Target, Walmart (courtesy of Packed Party and The Pioneer Woman), Lilly Pulitzer *of course!*, The Rifle Paper Company, Vera Bradley, Vahdam Tea, and Rae Dunn (although, not linked), and Kate Spade. I am ALSO updating my at-home Office soon, too, so stay tuned!

*Disclaimer: Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through one of my links, then I will receive a small commission. This commission is at no extra cost to you. Additionally, this post is not sponsored, and all opinions are my own.*

Happy shopping/office space inspiration!!

XOXO – Katie <3

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The Life of Katie!

This past week has been a whirlwind of exhaustion, excitement, and everything in between! I went on my first-ever solo road trip to see family and for a work conference in Charlottesville, Virginia, bought a brand-new HUGE monitor for work that I LOVE using while working from home, went to see the Cherry Blossoms at the National Cherry Blossom Festival for the National Cherry Blossom Festival Opening Ceremony at Warner Theatre, met up with my good friend Claire in a new and gorgeous neighborhood outside of Washington, DC of Del Ray, Virginia, and I started going into the office on a semi-weekly basis. I post about ALL of these goings in my life on my Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!). All of this excitement and madness has occurred while Springing forward with the time change moving up an hour. So, needless to say, it has been an exhausting time but also pretty rewarding, too. Now, for even more updates!

First-EVER Solo road trip to Charlottesville, Virginia – this past weekend, I attended my also first-ever professional conference at the University of Virginia which is located in Charlottesville. So, I made the trip down to Charlottesville in my brand-new car Daisy. I pretty much turned on the 80’s music via SiriusXM and listened to it ALL the way down to Charlottesville and back. Charlottesville is a beautiful town in the heart of the Virginia Wine Country and at the foothills of the Virginia mountains. I stayed the night with my Aunt Lisa, Uncle John, and cousins Mary, Joey, and Matthew and got to hang with their adorably sweet dogs too. We enjoyed the evening together and Aunt Lisa, Mary, and I all went to Grace Estate Winery and I FINALLY got to use my Virginia Wine Pass, too. The family time was priceless and such a gift. The whole weekend was (I’ll be sharing MORE about it in a blog post this weekend!). Above all else, I am proud of ME for doing it all by myself.
Catching up with Claire in Del Ray – Ever since I moved to the Washington, DC area, I had never even heard of the gorgeous little suburb of Del Ray, Virginia. My good college friend Claire was visiting family here in the Washington, DC area who happened to live in Del Ray, so we decided to explore it while she was here. Del Ray is located near Alexandria, Virginia and is such a homey and adorable little town. In fact, it even had a mural featuring portraits of ALLL the Dogs of Del Ray – what’s more wholesome than a mural of dog residents?! All of the businesses in town are small businesses and there were also two pet stores to add on to how wholesome this town is especially when it comes to its love of dogs. Overall, Del Ray low-key reminded me of Stars Hollow, Connecticut from Gilmore Girls, yet more urban. All in all a great time exploring a new place with a great friend that I hadn’t seen in a while!
My second big girl purchase – If you follow me on Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!), then you know that I recently purchased my first-ever Big Girl purchase – a White Volvo S60 named Daisy! Since buying Daisy, I bought my second-ever Big Girl purchase – a 32-inch LG Monitor for work from home. I have LOVED having this monitor since I purchased it and is 10/10 such a great second Big Girl purchase! Shop it here: https://rstyle.me/+hg-oT3mAM2TA1dWwpCz1Hw!
National Cherry Blossom Festival Opening Ceremony – Over the weekend, along with going to Charlottesville, I also met up with my good friend Shivani for the National Cherry Blossom Festival to not only see the Cherry Blossoms along the National Mall at the Washington Monument, BUT also to watch the festival’s Opening Ceremony at the drop dead gorgeous Warner Theatre, complete with a ribbon cutting! This Opening Ceremony was such a fun event, honoring Japanese culture (the origin of the Cherry Blossom!) along with tons of gratitude all around for the beauty of the gorgeous city of Washington, DC and America’s and Japan’s friendship. True true true beauty and many items of merchandise were purchased at the gift shop, too (sorry, Mom!).
Rae Dunn Jackpot Clearance at TJ Maxx – Right after attending the Cherry Blossom Festival Opening Ceremony at Warner Theatre, I made the trek to the nearby TJ Maxx (if you know me then you know that I LOVE the TJ Maxx’s in Washington, DC the most!!!) to sit out the Metro crowds right after the ceremony. When I arrived, I was nothing short of amazed at ALL of the Rae Dunn on clearance *yes, clearance* at this TJ Maxx in Metro/City Center of Washington, DC. Y’all – there were $3 MUGS and let’s just say that I got ALL stocked up on some Rae Dunn clearance goodies!!!
Going into the Office – My teammate and coworker and I have been meeting at least once a week to go into the office. It’s really nice to get that in-person experience, after starting out in the workforce virtually and ending my college career with mostly virtual classes. I got the keys to my desk last week and decorated it this past week, too. ALL pink and completely Katie!!! At the same time, going into work in Washington, DC traffic is nothing but exhausting despite the great in-person connections I have been making on a weekly basis. Needless to say, the hybrid workforce has been good to me, despite the pure exhaustion!

Here’s to a great week for us all!

XOXO – Katie <3

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Preppy Spring 2022 Wardrobe Inspiration

Last weekend, we had a snow storm in the Washington, DC area. *YES, fake Spring is a thing here y’all!* If you follow me on Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee), then you know that I am more than ready for Spring and shared my wardrobe on there first. So, that snow storm this past weekend gave me an opportunity to utilize my creative genes and redo my display rack in my Office/Closet space. I have been shopping *confession and sorry, Mom* recently and picked up just a few items to wear this Spring and even Summer 2022 season. I am oh so excited to be able to share with y’all my display rack (shop here!) for this season that I’ve had for a few years now AND finally decked it out!!

I decided to dress up my wardrobe in a rainbow fashion aka color-coded. Personally, I think it is WAYYY more fun to doll up a little Office space wardrobe when it’s in a color-coded manner. That way, it looks like a whimsical, little Spring rainbow in my own space – HAHA! As for the pieces that I got this Spring, I shopped at my local 2nd Ave thrift store and ThredUp for some secondhand finds as well as Amazon (specifically the brands of Larace, Ouges, and Exlura that I’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with!!), Tuckernuck (January’s Sample Sale), Stoney Clover Lane (“Katie” handbag), Belk (ESPECIALLY Crown & Ivy and a bit of Kim Rogers, too), Fabletics (yep, I’m a consistent “Skip the Month” subscriber – LOL!), and *of course* Lilly Pulitzer (January’s Sunshine Sale and recent Gifts with Purchase on the brand’s site!!). Now is the time to enjoy getting your own inspiration for your Spring 2022 wardrobe (and maybe treat yourself to a new clothing item or three! Also, be sure to check out my Reels showing off my fun Spring 2022 wardrobe (follow me @_thepinkchickadee) for even more in-depth inspiration.

XOXO – Katie <3

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My Updated Washington, DC Area Bucket List!

If you know me or perhaps follow me on Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!), then you know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE where I live! Living in the Washington, DC area has been nothing but a blessing to me ever since I moved here back in May 2021. When I first moved here, I made my own Washington, DC Area Bucket List (read it here!) and haven’t looked at it since then. SO, I figured I would provide an updated bucket list based off of the one I made back in May and some new things that I want to do in the area.

Washington, DC

Have a picnic at The National Mall
See a show at The Kennedy Center
See a show at Warner Theatre
Eat dinner at Old Ebbitt Grill
Attend a blogger meet up downtown
Walk along Dupont Circle and U Street Northwest
Try Baked & Wired’s Cupcakes in Georgetown – DID IT!
Admire the aisles and enjoy some delights at Eastern Market
Watch the sunrise from the Jefferson Memorial
Take blog photos in Georgetown – DID IT!
Hike at Aldie Historic Park
Try Urban Roast for brunch – DID IT!
Walk around Capitol Hill
Go to a Nationals baseball game – DID IT!
Tour the White House, the Capitol, the Supreme Court Building, and the Library of Congress
Take photos along the cobblestone streets of Georgetown – DID IT!
Walk around the Sculpture Garden
Tour the National Cathedral – DID IT!
Walk along the Tidal Basin when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom at sunrise
Tour the Tudor Place – DID IT!
Enjoy cocktails at The Wharf
Watch the sunset from the Lincoln Memorial
Have a high tea at Lady Camellia
See The Nutcracker at the Kennedy Center
Take a stroll along Georgetown Waterfront Park – DID IT!
Go to the Renwick Gallery
Have a picnic at the United States National Arboretum
Admire the flora of the United States Botanical Garden
Visit Ford’s Theatre
Learn ways to not repeat history ever again at the Holocaust Museum
Ice skate at the Sculpture Garden (probably won’t do this – haha!)
Enjoy doing work at a local cafe
Visit Enchante at Nationals Park at Christmas time – DID IT!
Watch The National Christmas Tree Lighting
Shop in Georgetown – DID IT!
Walk through the Freer Gallery of Art *yet again*
Get a Washington, DC library card

Virginia

Visit George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate at Christmas time
Explore downtown Fairfax
Enjoy dinner at a local Irish pub in Arlington
Get a Virginia library card
Go back to Carlyle Grand for dinner in Shirlington
Stroll through the cobblestone streets of Old Town Alexandria *yet again*
Take a day trip to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello – DID IT!
Go back to Busboys & Poets for dinner in Shirlington
Visit the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
Hike yet again at Great Falls Park
Spend an evening at the outdoor picnic areas in Reston Town Center
Visit James Madison’s Montpelier for a day trip near Charlottesville
Make it to all of the Charlottesville vineyards on the Monticello Wine Trail
Drive through the countryside of Loudon County, specifically Middleburg and Leesburg
Admire the sunflowers and/or tulips at Burnside Farms
Explore downtown Vienna – DID IT!
Sip some wine at one of the many Middleburg vineyards
Enjoy dinner and strolling along the streets of Shirlington
Take a hike at Occoquan Regional Park
Shop at the Leesburg Premium Outlets
Enjoy a meal out and shopping at the Mosaic District – DID IT!
Go iceskating at Reston Town Center (probably not doing this anytime soon!)
Spend an evening at the outdoor picnic areas in Fairfax Corner
Explore downtown Washington
Hike along Shenandoah National Park and drive along Skyline Drive – DID IT!
Explore Fredericksburg
Shop at the Potomac Mills Tanger Outlets
Enjoy the nightlife and food scene in Arlington – DID IT!
Walk along Clifton and take blogger photos there – DID IT!

Maryland

Stroll through Annapolis at Christmas time – DID IT!
Enjoy dinner at National Harbor – DID IT!
Take a day trip or weekend excursion to St. Michael’s Island
Enjoy a night at MGM in National Harbor
Have a high tea with family in Annapolis
Admire the Christmas lights at the Gaylord National Hotel – DID IT!
Shop at the Tanger Outlets at National Harbor
Admire the downtown Annapolis area and enjoy ice cream there in the summer time – DID IT!
Visit Baltimore, Maryland
Walking around Fells Point in Baltimore
Tour downtown Frederick
BONUS: Visit Harpers Ferry, West Virginia at Christmas time
BONUS: Visit Harpers Ferry, West Virginia yet again

Now, onward to many more Washington, DC area adventures!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

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Weekly Menu Round-Up: March 14-18

Another week, another weekly menu!! These past few weeks, I have been using HelloFresh. While I LOVE the meals via HelloFresh, it has taken a toll on my budget and has added up a lot. At the same time, I miss being able to cook the meals that I’ve cooked and wanted to cook on my own without my fridge being overtaken by HelloFresh. SO, I am trying a few weeks without HelloFresh to get a feel for it. Overtime though, I may use HelloFresh from time to time. This week will be a busy week, but it will also allow me to whip up some meals on my own!

Meal 1: Baked Rainbow Trout with Lemon, Black Pepper, and Garlic and Roasted Broccoli and Buttery Cauliflower Rice. The other day at my local Giant grocery store, I found some Rainbow Trout filets on sale, so I picked them up! I figured I would whip up a Rainbow Trout recipe and loved this one (linked here) that I found via a simple Google search. I’m excited to try it and serve it with some healthy side dishes aka my favorite roasted broccoli and cauliflower rice for a healthy, yet delish recipe!!

Meal 2: Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup & Garlic Naan Pepperoni Flatbread Pizza. This past January, I tried Progresso’s newer release of dry Chicken Noodle soup and LOVED it! So, I am going to whip it up again in the Crockpot and serve it with some Garlic Naan Pepperoni Flatbread pizza, as Monday (March 14) is Pi Day *Math majors like myself rejoice!!*.

Meal 3: Healthy Shrimp Salad topped with an Avocado and Buttered Parmesan Rainbow Pasta. I found this delicious-looking Healthy Shrimp Salad (linked here!) via Pinterest and KNEW that I had to try it. I am also oh so excited to be able to serve this salad with buttered parmesan Rainbow pasta noodles (a childhood favorite of mine!), as well.

While a shorter weekly menu, it has definitely become more realistic of what my weekly menus now look like. I am excited to try some healthy recipes that are both budget-friendly AND delicious!

XOXO – Katie <3

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The Life of Katie!

Happy Saturday! This past week was a whirlwind of stress, excitement, and everything in between. From making my first-ever “Big Girl” purchase to celebrating Papa’s birthday to the hustle at work (all great things!), it has been a great week, needless to say. If you follow me on Instagram, (follow me @_thepinkchickadee), then you probably know just a bit of the excitement and will continue to first. Now, let’s get into my current life’s goings!

Walks are GREAT for the soul! – Sunshine is ALWAYS good for the soul! Recently, I have been working from home a lot as my company has mainly been working remote since COVID-19 began shutting down offices. This past week, I made sure to take the time for ME and take a nice walk in the neighborhood. Last Monday, Papa and I went for a LOONGGG walk with our dog Rosie around the neighborhood and had a nice, enjoyable time too. I have to say, I felt really refreshed and knew that I needed to do it again, even if it’s for 5 minutes around the block. A simple change of scenery makes a HUGE difference.
I BOUGHT A CAR!!! – So, this past week, I test drove and fell in love with a little white car so much that I *had* to make the move to purchasing it. I named this beautiful now-little white car of mine Daisy. To me, I am super duper excited to have Daisy as my own, as I was driving a family car that I loved before. I had actually been searching for a car since around September of last year. The car market has been awful right now and since last year, due to supply chain issues and the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, it was also super nerve-wracking when it came to car shopping and making such a huge purchase for the first time ever on my own. However, when I drove Daisy, I knew that my car search had ended. Luckily, we were able to get a great deal on her (shoutout to my Papa for all of his generous help and time along with me – he’s the best y’all!!), given the current times, and I drove away with her just a few days after initially test driving her! Needless to say, I am SO excited about this brand-new purchase of mine and can’t wait for many more adventures to come. Also, be on the lookout for an upcoming blog post about my var shopping experience in 2022, too!
Going into the office – Yesterday, I *finally* got an email about picking up my keys for my desk space in my office. My company is slowly but surely going back into the office and discussing the possibilities of the company going back in, too. I am super duper excited about getting to go back into the office, I am actually starting to go back into the office myself here and there and will be more especially in the coming weeks, and even more excited at the possibilities of more and more folks going in over time. My fingers are crossed that my work life becomes more consistently hybrid over the next few months. Google, in fact, announced that all of their employees would be going into the office on a hybrid work format which I think is an exciting move for their employees after COVID-19, too.
Starting to Volunteer – Recently, I started volunteering with two different places – my church and a nonprofit focused on funding young girls interested in pursuing careers in STEM. Both places I am very passionate about serving others within their differing capacities and am excited to see what’s to come, too. This past Wednesday, I had volunteer meetings/events with both places and felt so so so revived and excited.
Papa’s Birthday!!! – Yesterday, we celebrated Papa’s Birthday!!! If you follow me on Instagram, (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!), then you probably see photos of my Papa all day every day. My Papa is one of my besties and I also live with him and our dog Rosie. Papa is my grandfather and has been a close, important person and figure in my life ever since I was born. Needless to say, I love him to death and love spoiling him. My family and I had a super sweet dinner for him at my Mom’s house nearby, complete with cake and ice cream. Papa and I got to enjoy driving around in my new car Daisy, so that he could enjoy a Birthday cocktail and have peace of mind when coming home from my Mom’s house for dinner. I ended up treating him to some crab legs (his favorite!) that we’ll make one of these upcoming days. Papa had a great Birthday and LOVED all of the sweet Birthday messages from many of y’all on Instagram and beyond, too!

Needless to say, I had a pretty good week last week and am excited to see what’s to come!

XOXO – Katie <3

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Reflection: 2 Years Since COVID-19 Began

It’s been 2 years since I flew to Tennessee and landed to the news “the coronavirus has been declared a pandemic.” I was staying with a then-friend at her family’s home and we both felt fearful. We were hearing the other North Carolina schools – NC State, UNC Chapel Hill, and Duke alike – cancelling classes for the upcoming weeks. Then, a few days later, Meredith College followed suit. A few days later, my Dad and Step Mother drove to North Carolina to pick me up and we drove home to essentially quarantine. I, then, quarantined with my Mom and Step Father. We didn’t know for how long and neither did anyone else. No one knew what was going on or what was to happen. It was scary and it was uncertain.

The first few thoughts going through my head when COVID-19 first hit was what about the remainder of my college experience? What about my friends’ college experiences? What about my classmates’ college experiences? What about others’ college experiences? The same idea for anyone in school. None of us knew what was to come, except for the fact that we would probably be at home for quite a while, with our academic experiences missed due to COVID-19. Experiences that we would never get due to the pandemic. While frustrating and sad, it was the reality and right when COVID-19 hit and social distancing for days ensued, so did that fear of loss and then the loss. Needless to say, there was a lot of grief going on inside of me. It sucked. BUT, it sucked for everyone else too not just me.

Looking back on the COVID-19 pandemic, I spent so much time obsessing over the what-if’s. I think we all did. No one knew what was coming. I vividly remember feeling like I wanted to know when: when would this end? When would I be able to leave my house without any worry or feelings of backlash for taking a mask off for a picture? Just when? Well, we didn’t know and no one else did either. I really wish that I enjoyed the moment more with my family, despite the circumstances.

Flash forward to the coming months/years and I went back to my college apartment. I lived out my Senior year of college and got to graduate in-person on my college campus in the most bittersweet way possible. Although not the highly anticipated Senior year of college that I had had in mind, it was surprisingly not horrible either. I actually enjoyed my Senior year of college, even *yes, even* with COVID-19. I also became employed and moved back to the Washington, DC area – a dream of mine since I started college. I have a dog named Rosie and I live with my Papa. My blogging platform has grown in ways that I had never ever ever expected. Truly, my life is insane but in the best way possible!

2 years since March 2020, I see someone that has worked on herself like never before in ways that I can only thank due to ironically the COVID-19 pandemic (read more on that here!). I developed my blogging platform here at The Pink Chickadee. I networked with so many folks and continue to network with others, whether it be family, friends, fellow influencers, or professionally. While COVID-19 is a tragic pandemic and event, it did not crush me in the long run – rather, it made me stronger. Indeed, I *even* have a greater insight into what my goals moving forward will look like. All thanks to a turn of events which made us ALL stronger.

As life feels as if it’s opening up in a post-pandemic manner, I am only excited for what is to come. I want to put myself out there in ways like never before – both professionally and personally. I want to explore my own city aka the Washington, DC area and make new connections while maintaining the one’s that I already have. I want to count my blessings one piece of confetti at a time. And, I want to invest in ME.

Right before writing this, a smile popped onto my face as I saw that some of my Meredith College classmates who were Freshmen during the 2020-2021 school year (now Sophomores) got to experience a special event that I experienced my Sophomore year just recently. Those classmates of mine are true testimonies of putting a smile on your face even in times of adversity, as they started out their college experience in the midst of the pandemic. Now, I strive to do the same. If COVID-19 taught me anything, it is that there is good even in the bad. And, the little things are the things that matter the most.

XOXO – Katie <3

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