FSB Lifestyle Archives - Future Southern Belle

2022 Recap

Jenna — Sun, 01 Jan 2023 02:49:32 +0000

Our 2022 recap! This year in review has been extra special for us. From getting married, to traveling, to buying a house, this year was one for the books. What a great year 2022 has been for us!

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2019 Recap

Jenna — Sat, 04 Jan 2020 15:16:29 +0000

The Breaking Point Sometimes, you just need a break. These past few months have been so hectic, I’ve barely had time to think. Between getting a job in my home state of Maine, to getting a job in Florida and having to leave my job in Maine, to moving to Florida and moving in with my boyfriend, it’s been a rollercoaster six months. I decided to take a break from my blog and focus on getting acclimated to my new home, and new job. Sometimes life just throws a curveball at you and you either have to learn to roll with it, or fight back. I suggest roll with it. A few days ago, I saw a sign that read “God wrecks your plans when he sees that your plans are about to wreck you”. Isn’t that the truth. I will forever be grateful that God made a path for me here in Florida so I could be with Kevin. But I didn’t do it alone, there was a lot of praying that went into it! So now more about my life update….woohoo I’ve finally moved to Florida! If you know anything about me, it’s that I HATE the winter and being cold. I thrive on warmth and sun. I get really bad seasonal depression in the winter months because I have a vitamin D deficiency. When I was at school in Daytona Beach, that went away because I was in the sun all the time. So when Kevin accepted a job in Southwest Florida, I was on board to start looking for a job here as well. Long Distance Kevin and I spent about 8 months doing long distance (more about that in a future blog post). Once he found a job here, I immediately started looking. Luckily, it only took a few months of him being down here for me to finally accept a job that I love. Luckily, I was able to find a few times in my busy schedule to come to Florida to visit Kevin a few times before I found a job. My first time in Southwest Florida was amazing. The sun, the warmth, and the beautiful beaches. What else could I want? The hardest part of my year was being away from Kevin for so long. You really have to be in a committed relationship to be able to make long distance worth it. Shout out to those who can make it work: you rock! Long distance is no joke. It nearly broke Kevin and I. If you find yourself in a situation where you have to do long distance, I highly recommend setting a date where the long distance will end. Or for how long you are willing to do long distance. My final thoughts… Honestly, 2019 has sucked. I’m really glad that we’re getting into 2020. I have some big plans not only for my blog but for me personally as well. I think 2020 is going to be my year! 2019 was just an overwhelming, over stressed, rollercoaster type of year that I’m glad to have behind me. I’m hoping that 2020 is a year full of happiness, peace, excitement, and hope for the future! May all of 2020 be as good to you as I hope it will for me. A huge thank you to all my followers and everyone who has supported me along my journey. I am truly thankful for each and every one of you. Now lets hope its not another 6 months until I can get another blog post up haha! Just kidding, one of my goals for 2020 is to get some more regular content up on my site. Leave a comment below of some topics that you would like to see! XoXi,

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Spring Activities

Jenna — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 10:45:41 +0000

Hey Y’all, Happy first day of Spring everybody!!! March 20th marks the first day of Spring as well as the International Day of Happiness! In honor of those two special events occurring on the same day, I’ve put together some of my favorite activities to do this spring. 1. Go for a hike Spring is all about being able to go outside and get some fresh air. Even if you are like me and live in Florida, I still make a point to get outside and while there isn’t much for hiking in Florida, there is still some beautiful nature walks by the ocean! 2. Sit outside a café This is one of my all-time favorite spring activities! I loveeeee being able to sit outside of a French café and sip a latte and eat a fresh croissant. There’s nothing like it! 3. Stop and smell the flowers Seriously…stop and smell the flowers! Take some time to slow down and appreciate the nature around you coming to life. Spring is a new beginning…for you and for flowers! 4. Do something good One thing that makes me feel happy, is going out into my community and doing something good. Whether that is volunteering or simply performing an act of kindness, nothing gets me in a better mood then when I make other people happy! 5. Do something new This is my favorite tip of all. I love change and especially doing something new. I just recently picked up reading again (it’s not all that fun to read textbooks). I’m currently reading The Copenhagen Affair by Amulya Malladi and I can’t put it down it’s that good! If reading isn’t for you, consider rearranging your room or going with a new hairstyle. The possibilities are endless! In honor of spring, take a look at some photos below of Spring flowers! They were taken by my wonderful friend and photographer, Sophie Dobben! Check out her Facebook and Instagram below! She is in the Southern Maine area if you are interested in getting senior photos, an engagement shoot, or just a photoshoot! Click here for Sophie’s Instagram and here for her Facebook page! XoXi,

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Welcome to Future Southern Belle

Jenna — Sat, 16 Mar 2019 13:01:38 +0000

Hey Y’all, I am so excited to introduce you to Future Southern Belle! For those of you who are just joining my blog, welcome! For those who have been following along on my journey for the last year and a half, welcome back! First of all, I am so excited to announce the new and improved Future Southern Belle website! This project has been my baby for the last few months, so I am so thrilled to finally be able to show it off to y’all. So let me start by breaking down each section that I am going to be writing about! Lifestyle #fsblifestyle🎀 I wanted to write about lifestyle because I want to be real with y’all about who I am, what I believe, and what I want to do! It’s so important these days to find people that we can connect with, and that’s what I hope to do! Within the lifestyle category, I want to share with you y’all about my relationships. Not just my relationship with Kevin, but also about my relationships with my sister, family, and friends. I also plan on sharing my personal beauty tips…it’s only taken me 23 years to finally nail down a skin routine! There will also be posts about wellness. It is so important not only to take care of your physical healthy but also your mental health! I want to share with y’all my experience with therapy and include personal anecdotes that you can hopefully relate to. The FSB Lifestyle category is probably my favorite sub-category because this will hold all of my misc. posts as well as posts about personal things that have happened to me. Whether it’s the good or the bad, I intend to share it all! This sub-category will also hold posts about what it’s like to live in the South, college advice, as well as new and exciting things that are happening in my every day life! Recipes #fsbrecipes🎀 Ahhhh the recipes category. Probably the most mouth watering category I have on FSB. Within this category I have broken it up into three sub- categories that will include: breakfast, dinner, and snacks. I only included three so far but don’t worry, I will be adding more as I get going! My favorite meal of the day is breakfast by a long shot, but sometimes breakfast can get mundane and downright boring when you have eggs every day. I intend to help you expand your recipe book by including some of my favorite breakfast food items like my mothers famous waffle recipe, the best buttermilk pancakes recipe, as well as an easy guide to eggs benedict. Dinner recipes will also be included because Kevin and I make a point to cook dinner together as much as we can. We love experimenting with new recipes and new genres of food! Last but not least is the snacks sub-category. This is going to include snacks for entertaining (and for yourself!). Whether it’s a fantastic guacamole recipe, or a charcuterie board, this category will have all of your entertaining recipes covered. Travel #fsbtravel🎀 For those that know me, I. LOVE. TO. TRAVEL. It is my all-time favorite hobby (though expensive). My goal with this category is to show you all of the most exquisite, luxurious destinations in the world while also showing y’all charming day trips in the South and cozy overnight adventures in New England. I think a lot of people get the wrong idea that traveling is impossible on a budget but I want to show y’all that it doesn’t matter where you’re going, all that matters is who is sitting next to you on that journey. My parents brought my sister and I to Vermont one weekend for a surprise and it is probably one of my favorite childhood memories! For the sub-categories, so far I have Hawaii, Florida, and New England. Now that I’m out of college, I intend to keep adding to the list of places I’ve been, thus adding onto the sub-categories! Well I think y’all have a better understanding of the kind of posts you’ll be seeing on Future Southern Belle! If you’d like to follow along on my journey make sure to check out my Instagram page and sign up for our weekly newsletter about what’s new on FSB! If you want to read more about me click here and if you want to read more about Future Southern Belle click here! XoXi,

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Sarasota Sunsets

Jenna — Sat, 16 Mar 2019 12:59:47 +0000

Hey Y’all, The FSB lifestyle is all about finding the beauty in things. Kevin taught me to stay a little longer outside once the sun starts to set. When you do, you get to see the most beautiful aspect that nature has to offer, and that is a sunset. If you have ever been to the West Coast of Florida, you understand very well how stunning the sunsets are. Being from Maine, I see some very beautiful sunsets, but when you see a sunset over the horizon on the beach, well there’s nothing that compares to that. Kevin and I LOVE the West Coast of Florida. We love the Sarasota area in particular and we traveled there several times during the school year. We would go fishing, spend time at his parent’s condo, and of course enjoy the breathtaking sunsets. Below are some of my favorite sunsets that we were able to capture. Sarasota is an incredible city to visit in Florida. There will be a blog post later about places to go and visit while vacationing in Sarasota! One of my recommendations is going to Siesta Key because it’s breathtaking! Gorgeous emerald waters, with white sandy beaches! If you are looking for a more secluded spot, I recommend heading a little further south to Venice Beach. Still beautiful beaches but a much larger fishing community. There are plenty of places to walk or bike and the have good selection of restaurants. Many of the restaurants overlook the water which is an added bonus! As you can see, Florida sunsets are one of our favorites! We are going to be planning a trip soon to the West Coast of the United States so let us know if you have any suggestions. Especially suggestions for sunset watching places, we would love to hear about them! XoXi,

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23 Things I’ve Learned by 23

Jenna — Sat, 16 Mar 2019 12:57:22 +0000

Hey Y’all, Today I’m going to write about 23 very important lessons that I have learned by 23. Hopefully I can impart some of my knowledge and wisdom onto you. So here goes. 1. Wash your face with plain Dove soap. 2. Eat a damn salad. 3. Have goals, but write in pencil. 4. Get STD tests regularly. 5. Know your favorite drink. 6. Whenever you can’t figure out what you want, the answer is always water. 7. It’s perfectly okay to change your mind. This lesson is important because it applies to relationships, career paths, and even your signature lip color. Red is hard to pull off. 8. Hang out with your friends as much as you can. Friends are the family we get to choose for ourselves. 9. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. 10. Don’t say maybe if you want to say no. 11. When a boy is giving you wishy-washy feelings, be smart enough to walk away. 12. Your intuition is your best compass. Follow it. 13. Everything may happen for a reason, but don’t leave anything to chance. We get a say in our own destiny. 14. Learn how to cook. You can’t live off boxed mac and cheese forever. 15. Find an exercise that you enjoy and do that regularly. 16. It’s okay to be a little lost. It’s okay to not have everything figured out. It takes time, be gentle with yourself. 17. Find at least one thing every day that makes you happy or excited. It’ll help you stay sane. 18. Everyone needs a good cry every once in a while. Turn off the lights, lay down on the floor, blast music and let it all out. You’ll feel so much better once you do. 19. Know the difference between good sex and great sex. Good sex is messy, but great sex is messier. 20. Take yourself out on dates. Get to know yourself. You are your longest commitment. 21. Be more heart and less attack. 22. “Dressing well is a form of good manners” -Tom Ford. 23. You’re amazing, but you’re not for everybody. And that’s perfectly okay. What are some things that you have learned over the years? I’d love to know so drop a comment down below! XoXi, All of the photos were captured by the talented Sophie Dobben. You can find more of her work here on Instagram, or here on Facebook.

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Graduation

Jenna — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 22:25:09 +0000

Hey Y’all, So my college career has been anything but a straight and narrow path. In high school, I went to a summer camp for nerds students that were interested in airplanes. The summer camp was at the most prestigious Aeronautical school in the country, none other than Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Obviously after having such a blast during my week away from home I was head over heels in love with my dream school. After getting accepted and going over the finances of loans and FAFSA and all that good stuff, I made the choice that I didn’t want to have over $100K in debt. So I changed my plan and I attended University of Southern Maine, knowing full well that I would be transferring at the end of the year. I knew that I wanted to pursue a career as an air traffic controller, so my plan was to do a year locally and get my general education credits and save money by living at home. My plan started off great. Fast forward to the fall of 2015… I had officially transferred to Daniel Webster College, and was loving being away from my family. I’m a very independent person, so naturally I was thrilled by the opportunity to start my life. While I was there I met countless friends and had adventures that I’ll never forget. I was thriving in my academics as well. I loved it. Then, out of the blue… I got news that still infuriates me to this day. ITT Tech, the company that owned our small school in New Hampshire, went bankrupt. Suddenly the school went into panic mode. It was pure chaos. I was a RA at the time and having to deal with my own thoughts as well as the thoughts of my residents was a lot for anyone to handle. Southern New Hampshire University luckily came to our rescue and bought our school out and did a teach out so we weren’t left on the streets (literally). After a lot of thinking and going back and forth of whether to continue my education at SNHU or transferring once again, I decided to listen to my heart and it was telling me to go South. So I did. I transferred that January to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Just like that my entire college career came full circle. The school that I originally wanted to go to ended up being the school that I graduated from. I guess things really do happen for a reason. You just have to be patient enough to hold out for the ending. What I learned A lot of good things have come out of all three of my schools. At University of Southern Maine, I joined the Alpha Xi Delta sorority where I got to become a legacy because my mother was also initiated at that very same chapter of Alpha Xi Delta. My sister also went on to become a member of AXiD as well. At Daniel Webster College, I really got to do some self exploration and figure out who I really am. At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University I got…well my degree. If you have a complicated college story I’d love to hear about it! Drop a comment in the comment section! XoXi,

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Polo Season

Jenna — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 03:24:17 +0000

Hey Y’all, ‘Tis the season for Polo Matches! If you live in the South Florida area, you are in the best possible location to see live Polo Matches! If you live in the Palm Beach/Wellington area you are so close to the International Polo Club in Wellington, Florida. Below are some pictures from when Kevin and I attended one of the Polo Matches there! The best part…general admission is only $10.00! My favorite part of the Polo Match was during half time, they encourage all of the spectators to come onto the field and stomp in the divots that the horses made. During this time, we were also served free Chandon champagne! A sport that serves free champagne to the spectators, now that’s a sporting event I can attend! If you are in the Wellington and Palm Beach area, attending a Sunday Polo Match is a must! Some tips that I picked up was to definitely get a seat. If you actually want to watch the match, it is hard to see in the general admission area where Kevin and I were. On the contrary, if you’re just there for the experience, then paying $10 for general admission is the way to go! Another tip is don’t wear high heels! I chose to wear my Jack Rogers because I knew the ground wouldn’t be in any condition to wear heels, plus you would sink right in to the grass. The sun was very bright so I would also recommend to bring a hat! Also, Lilly Pulitzer is a staple when attending a Polo Match! The preppier, the better as I always say. As for the Polo Match itself, it was so interesting! I had no idea what I was about to watch but by the end, I was rooting for all the players. The match that we attended was between Valiente and FlexJet. Valiente won 12-11. XoXi,

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