thebabyperks

When I started my blog in 2013 blogging had just started to become more popular. Like I've discussed in so many of my posts, I began blogging as an outlet to fulfill my passion of writing. Over the past 6 years a lot more people have started their own blogs and I felt like I was getting lost in the mix. My priority has not been sponsorships or brand deals so my feelings of being lost weren't due to losing hope on achieving those things. My fear was being seen as everyone else who "had a blog" and was doing it for the wrong reasons. I experienced imposter syndrome. 

During my senior seminar I slightly tackled the idea of imposter syndrome through my #IAm, but I've seen imposter syndrome creep into other areas of my life since that project ended. Last week I'll admit that I popped by my advisor's office for what I thought would only be a brief second but then turned into me crying and second-guessing everything in my life. I'm a big planner. I'm also a big people pleaser. So many things were rattling around in my head about what I thought I should do post-grad and what I thought others would want me to do post-grad that I was psyching myself out. That moment was the first time it really sunk in that I was leaving the bubble of traditional education and entering the real world. He told me that I should just go out into the "real world" and live, to not have any expectations for what it may or may not be like. The "planner" in me didn't like that because I wanted to know right then what I was doing, but I took that information, signed up for an official time to meet with him again and went on with my week.

As I went into my meeting this week I felt much more calm and collected as I mulled over his advice.  This time my advisor reminded me that life takes you a lot of unexpected ways that are impossible to predict. What I decide as a 21 year old does not set in stone the rest of my life or career. He shared stories of past students and friends who ended up doing all sorts of different things from what they thought they'd do in college. Even though my stress regarding my future is something I can't always help, he gave me a reminder I really needed. No one has it all figured out & that's okay. Every person has a unique path and that's okay. You worth doesn't come from comparison to others. Your journey is your journey.

In the last installment of the #IAm____ series we hear from University of Missouri- Kansas City student, Bethany Graham, who has decided to embrace spontaneity for the rest of her college journey.

Why did you pick the word spontaneity?
Lately, I have been focusing on releasing control and enjoying myself in the moment. Whether this is dancing on tables with my friends, or letting myself go to bed early instead of doing homework until midnight like I planned. I need to listen to my body and focus on my emotional health in order to live a happy, healthy life.

Do you have any advice for college students who may also struggle with living in the moment?
Especially as college students, we need to remember to enjoy where we are. A lot of things are going on, and if we get so wrapped up in balancing everything and spreading ourselves thin, our time is over, and all for what? To be stressed out and overwhelmed most of the time? I've often struggled with being strict about my studies and work schedule, that I forget how much I love what I do. I have an amazing job, wonderful school, and I love what I'm studying. So why do I make myself miserable? I'm worth so much more than that. I shouldn't be a slave to my planner and I need to remember to be present in what I'm doing now.

This last year I was so stressed out that by November of my senior year I needed to already be interviewing for jobs, but the last few months I've had to rework my priorities and original plans. I still haven't applied for jobs. I have finally realized everyone is on their own path, so I can take my time, as long as I'm not being a lazy slob, and the reason I realized this was because I wasn't having fun and being spontaneous like I used to.

How does this word apply to other areas of your life?
I love this word and this topic because it all boils down to self worth. I want everyone to know they are worth taking time for themselves, to do what feels good, even if it isn't what they planned, as long as it's not destructive to themselves/others. Life throws all sorts of curve balls at you, so there's no use in trying to control it. While maintaining balance, allow yourself some spontaneity. Dance on the table.

What is your word?

Confidence is something that Chase Worley really struggled with in the past, especially when coming in to college.

His advice for students struggling to find themselves is to find a group of friends they connect with.


“At Drury, I found that so many people are very accepting of who you are. I found that the people I was around really cared about me and helped me grow,” Chase said.

His confidence has been tested in college, but he leaned into his support system during that time.

“Last year I went through something personally that brought my confidence way down. Bleaching my hair was what resulted in bringing that confidence back up. My friends started to compliment me on how much better I look blonde and it helps my self confidence to hear them say things like that,” he said.

Lyndsey Standage has grown a lot over the past two years. Read more about her #IAmLove story: how she learned to be accepting of herself and how that allowed her to love others more deeply.

Sophomore political science and Spanish student, Caleb Conaway, shares how he learned to embrace his emotions. Read his #IAmFeeling story below.

It is with great excitement that I am finally announcing my senior seminar project. After analyzing my goals, looking at timelines and attempting to figure out exactly what I want to do to represent the culmination of my work here at Drury, I've finally figured it out.

Over the course of the next 6 weeks I will be spotlighting a new person with their #IAm______ story.
What is #IAm______? #IAm_______ is a social media campaign & event I've created to promote that college students are good enough, accomplishing great things and making a difference. Throughout college I have struggled and felt like I had to justify what I was doing because I'm "just" a college student. In reality, I have worked really hard to get the internships I've held and accomplished a lot during my time at those internships. I struggled to see myself as someone that people look up to even though I've had various leadership roles.

#IAm______ is the chance for other students to tell their stories about times they've struggled, but ultimately, how they learned to self-identify their strengths and be proud of themselves.

Today, I am here to say that #IAmALeader. I've had 3 internships, worked my way from staff writer to managing editor of the student newspaper, served as a volunteer coach for Girls on the Run, I'm in 3 honors societies and I'm very involved in Kappa Delta, which is the main focus of my story.

Photo by Allyson Dougherty Photography

I've been the president of Kappa Delta for almost a full term now and previous to that I was VP-PR, assistant VP-M, and intramurals chair. Over 3 1/2 years I've dedicated a lot of time to fostering the development of Alpha Psi chapter, and therefore, our national organization as a whole. It took two events for me to realize I was a good leader in the sorority. The first was this summer at Kappa Delta National Convention when I received the top collegiate award for my involvement in KD, on campus and in the community. The second wasn't until this past Sunday at an alum advisory board meeting I was leading. During the meeting we discussed a lot of things that I have worked really hard on. As I was walking home that night it hit me how much work I've put in. It was exciting to see it begin to pay off in a way that will leave a lasting impact on our chapter.

#IAmALeader & I am proud of myself for going out of my comfort zone last October to run for chapter president. Over the past year I have grown so much more confident. I know what I am capable of and I am not afraid to share it. It's time that we celebrate ourselves and our hard work.

I will be reaching out to five individuals about their #IAm______ stories for publishing on my blog, but if you would like to participate in my campaign you're in luck! On Wednesday, October 23, from 11:30-1:00 I will be outside of the Drury Commons. During this time you can fill in the blank on an #IAm______ card and stick it to the banner that will be hanging up.

I would really appreciate your participation in my #IAm______ campaign. Be sure to subscribe to my blog and follow me on social media (@iamdu2019) to read all of the #IAm_____ stories over the next 6 weeks.

Until next time,
Taylor xx

After 10 super-speedy weeks, I am wrapping up my second internship with Spectrum. Two years ago I started applying for summer internships over winter break feeling like I was not good enough or would never make it to the interview. When I had my initial interview and then a follow up interview and then an internship offer with Spectrum, the second largest cable company in the nation, I was shocked. How could a girl from a tiny, little university in Springfield, Missouri, intern with college students from schools like University of Alabama or Washington University? I quickly learned to not doubt my abilities and found myself really excelling in my work. My internship experience last year gave me such a great insight into the world of corporate communications and, more specifically, internal communications. 

This winter break I started looking at summer internships in St. Louis and Kansas City when I was contacted by a Spectrum recruiter about returning. I considered the idea of interning somewhere else, but I also thought about the chance to grow even further in my skills by returning to Spectrum. I took the jump and told the recruiter yes.

Boy, am I glad I said yes.

This summer I had the chance to apply what I learned last summer and actually get into the content management system and do big things. I obviously still had supervision and approval processes before things went live, but it was still so rewarding to see that I was adding content to our intranet platform and publishing web pages. Outside of the work I was doing within my department my mentor connected me with a HR recruiter. It was so helpful to be able to meet with her and get her advice and suggestions on interviewing, resumes, and career opportunities. Somehow, another 10 weeks flew by and now I'm packing my cubical up.

It feels so weird that in a few short days I'll be leaving this office and not coming back. The internal communications team gave me a place that encouraged my growth and developed my confidence. I have had more opportunities than I ever could have imagined an internship would provide.

And lastly, but most importantly, I had the chance to work work with the best co-workers for two summers in a row. They made entering the big, scary corporate world less intimidating and more real. I am so thankful that out of all of the teams I had the possibility to work with that I could spend my past two summers with them.

Now I am about to embark on my last semester of my undergraduate degree. I'm trying not to rush it, but I am very excited about tackling the next challenge of finding my first post-grad job.

Until next time,
Taylor xx

My good friend Madison Hadler’s latest podcast episode was all about body image, self-confidence and self-love. More times than I'd like to admit, it's easy to slip into a negative mindset about myself and my body. When I started working out around two years ago I did it for both mental and physical reasons. After quitting swim team, I had spent my senior year of high school doing some triathlon training but not a whole lot, and I didn’t go to the gym my first semester of freshman year at all. “Getting more toned” was always the goal (ps getting toned isn’t a real thing, it’s just fat loss and muscle gain). I also loved the mental benefits. For a half hour to an hour every day I got to do something solely for me, listening to music I loved, and overall just feeling better.

I saw the above quote while scrolling on Facebook and it made me stop and really think about my perspective on life. I'm a chronic wisher-away. I'm always moving toward the next obstacle to tackle, the next paper to finish, so I can get it out of the way and move on. As I finish my final spring semester of undergrad ever I have come to the realization that I can't just skip a chapter of my life or keep wishing it away. The time will go past fast enough without me trying to speed it up (heck, I'm already graduating a semester early).


There have been plenty of weeks or months where the chapter of my life I was in left me in bed crying, anxious, or exhausted. But I have also experienced chapters that I didn't want to end: like Oliver and I throwing ourselves a birthday party freshman year (rip Perkstis Fest), attending a float trip with some of the best people (even though myself and EQ rowed for over 6 hours), getting to attend Kappa Delta's national convention, and binge-watching Criminal Minds with David or going to the Red Room for happy hour at least once a month.


Going into my junior year I really struggled with embracing that school would be different without some of my closest friends and boyfriend. The fall was rough but I slowly adjusted and I felt like I did better my spring semester with socializing more and making plans with people. Some of my favorite junior year memories include: coming home and talking with Sophia and Mackenzie about some of the most random, but also deepest things for hours, getting to serve as president of Kappa Delta, David coming to visit in Springfield, and getting to go up to KC with him and try new restaurants and coffee shops.


As much as I have been counting down until I graduate, it's actually becoming real that I only have one semester of college left. I want to embrace the last 224 days of my undergraduate experience and make them the best they can be. I want to continue my story and I hope you will be along for the ride.

Until next time,
Taylor xx

I've used my blog as a talking point in a lot of class projects and presentations recently. I haven't made a post in over a month, though, and as the semester winds down I miss writing on here. The past few months have been busy (as I discussed in my last post) and I didn't have any new ideas for posts. I also felt discouraged because I felt like not as many people were reading and I didn't know if I needed to reevaluate what I was writing about. Today it hit me, though, I need to stop overthinking and just write what I want to. I don't use this platform as a source of income, I write because I love to write. I may not have perfect grammar and my posts may include a lot of rambling, but that's who I am.

I haven't gotten better at finding photos to accurately reflect the blog post title so here's a Sigma Pi formal picture.

I hope that I am able to publish more frequently again for a few reasons. One, like I previously mentioned I love writing and I love getting to share a little bit of my life, it helps me process things. Two, I am wrapping up my first semester of my SENIOR year. This means I only have ONE semester left of college (I'm screaming) & I am equal parts terrified and thrilled. Beyond enjoying writing, I've kept this blog for so long so I can go back and reflect on different points of my life. I have grown and experienced so much since I first unpacked my stuff into Sunderland hall freshman year. I want to have record of my final semester in college.

I have a lot a want to say about college and I want to start posting more about all aspects of my university experience so be on the look out for more of that coming soon.

From this point on I want to focus on reclaiming my blog for topics I want to write about, even if they're repetitive or even if they don't get the most views. I have to remember that I'm publishing content and even if people don't read it all of the time, I am proud of myself.

No matter how long you've been following my blog, know that I appreciate all of the kind comments you send my way and I am excited for this last chapter of my collegiate experience to be shared with you all.

Until next time,
Taylor xx

How many times do we say "I'm so busy" throughout the day? I have a lot of problems with the "busyness" in today's culture because I don't think it's healthy or productive. Constantly feeling drained without the chance to really recharge can only last so long before one part of your life begins to suffer.

Here's a cute Girl Scout photo from the "Teddy Bear Tea" in fall 2018.

I can only recall a few things from my high school personal finance class: we learned how to write checks, played a stock market game, and wrote letters to ourselves. I know we definitely took tests and did worksheets, but I honestly cannot remember anything we discussed.

Going into college I was thrown into the world of balancing my money. My freshman year this wasn't too bad because I had worked all school year saving up money and I was graciously given some money at my graduation party. I lived in the dorms so I had a rather large meal plan so I didn't need a lot of groceries. My main expenses were my sorority dues, car insurance, gas to go back and forth between Springfield and O'Fallon, and going out to eat. 

The summer before my sophomore year I didn't get to work as much. I had the opportunity to attend Kappa Delta National Convention in Phoenix, Arizona, I went on a family vacation and went on a float trip. I am so glad I did all of these things and so thankful for those memories, but I definitely didn't have as much money going into the fall semester. I struggled with learning how to cook and went out to eat a lot to compensate. I started working at the school gym at the beginning of my sophomore year, but fun fact about on-campus jobs they only pay you once a month. I was constantly waiting for the 15th of every month to get paid. I found myself feeling anxious about my finances so often.

Here is a photo of David's cat and his roommate Micah's cat because they are cuter than anything photo-wise related to finances

That leads me to this past summer. I got an internship at Spectrum and was determined to spend and save my money wisely. I worked 40 hours a week this summer at my internship and got into a routine of going to work, going to the gym, eating dinner at home and repeating that cycle. My biggest expense during the summer was gas money-- both from O'Fallon to STL and O'Fallon to KC. When I moved back to school for my junior year I was in a much more comfortable spot. But, whenever I went to the grocery store I felt anxious spending $50+ on groceries. This very long intro takes me to my main point of this post: how I learned that it's okay to spend money on food, how to cook, and ultimately how to create a budget.

I was determined to not go out to eat as much this year. I had a kitchen and I wanted to learn how to cook. When I went to the grocery store and spent over $50 on groceries I would freak out, but when I calculated it out I realized how much money I was really saving. My groceries can usually last me 2 weeks, 3 meals a day times 6 days a week (given that I still have a small meal plan so sometimes I go to the dining hall or order pizza/go out to eat) times 2 weeks that the groceries last, that's 36 meals. This breaks down to around $2/meal, which is obviously way cheaper than going out to eat. Something that I struggled with last year toward the end of the semester and felt this past semester was fear of going out to eat. I was afraid to overspend and be broke which made me turn down opportunities to go out to dinner with friends. The past two months I've tracked my spending a little more diligently and decided to outline a budget in Google Sheets so I could see how much I could spend on going out to eat without fear. I knew that during school I would most likely be striking even on my expenses/income ratio, or spending a little bit more (hence why I save so much in the summer). In Google Sheets I calculated my expenses like Dollar Shave Club, car insurance, a range of sorority dues, Spotify, gas, going out to eat, etc. From there I did some simple equations to project where I would be at the end of this semester. I also plugged in different incomes to see how much money I would have if I worked different hours at the gym for next fall. After doing this I was able to make some decisions on how I wanted to spend my money the rest of the semester so that I can go be where I want to be financially next semester, too. I downloaded the app Mint which helped me create a budget that has specific categories for spending. It updates whenever I use my debit or credit card so I always know where I'm at.

Obviously, I'm only a college student and I am just getting started with budgeting, so I don't want people to think I think I know it all. I just wanted to share what I'm learning in hopes that it can help others. I know finances will get more challenging once I graduate, but I am so proud of myself for taking the time to build a budget and recognize patterns in my spending now rather than later. It's great to understand where my money goes.

Until next time,
Taylor x

David and I have been dating for a year and ~almost~ two months (woah), but 8 of those 14 months have been long distance. Last week my roommates and I were talking about how they forget that I'm in a long distance relationship and that I handle my relationship really well (thanks guys).

I have to be honest I almost didn't even give our relationship a chance when he asked to date me in November 2017. I was so fearful of what it would be like after David graduated. While it isn't always easy, I am so glad I said yes.

One of the biggest challenges now is that I knew what life in college was like with him and life in college was so fun. When we weren't in class we spent almost all day every day together. Now, we try to see each other twice a month but our time together is contained to Fridays around 5 p.m. until Sunday mornings around 10 a.m.

My biggest tips for people entering long distance relationships is to figure out what communication works best for you when you are apart. David and I text a majority of every day. It can be hard because when he's getting off work around 4:30/5 a lot of my Kappa Delta activities pick up and I may not always be able to text him (which I don't think bothers him, but I just want to talk to him all the time). Once or twice a week when we both have down time we call each other and talk. I have found this to work the best for us and our schedules.

When we do visit each other I try to make the weekend special. We usually go to a coffeeshop, get Mexican food, and/or visit estate sales. We also try to hang out with our mutual friends in the KC area. One time we even went to Top Golf with our friend Johan (I learned I am very bad at golf).

I am also working on trying to put my phone down and enjoying the moments I get with David because I am guilty of feeling like I have to respond to every text message or email instantly. This weekend in particular I'm challenging myself to turn my phone off and not feel bad for not responding to messages.

If you're entering into a long distance relationship it isn't as hard as you think if you just plan accordingly and communicate often. It's honestly pretty motivating to put a countdown in my phone and planner of when I get to see David next.

Until next time,
Taylor xx

I took a much needed break from just about everything over winter break. The few days leading up to the start of a new semester is always overwhelming to me. There's so much anticipation, everything is about to change but you have no idea how it's going to unfold. By the end of break I'm craving for the semester to start so I can get back into a routine.

Somehow two weeks have already gone by in my spring semester and I am feeling a lot more relaxed this weekend. I'm getting into the routine of my classes, my internship and the role of president in my sorority.

While this semester is probably going to be one of the busiest of my college career, I continuously try to remind myself to take it all in. I'm technically a senior in college now (what!) and I have registered to graduate in the fall. By the end of this year (approximately 321 days) I will be walking across the stage to get my diploma. I've caught myself saying time and time again how ready I am to graduate and how ready I am to be done.  As the days go by, though, I think about the day 322 days now when I am finished with my undergraduate degree. When I won't return to Drury for another spring semester. When I'll (hopefully) start my life in the corporate world. I am so ready to be done with classes, but am I ready for the "real world" (but I guess is anyone actually ready for the real world)? It'll be weird to come back to Drury as an alum but I hope I am able to come back a few times in the spring to celebrate the last semester of their senior year.

A little throwback to my high school graduation

As I think back to my senior year of high school, I think about how much I have changed in just 3 short years. I think about the opportunities Drury has given me, the people I have met here and the places I've been able to visit because of my education.

I don't want to wish away the next 321 days at Drury (as much as I talk about the countdown in my calendar to that day) and I hope you'll help me make the last year of my college experience the best it can be.

Until next time,
Taylor xx