Happy Turkey Day

I may not eat turkey but I am still extremely thankful this year for many things, one of which is my time with both the Miss Connecticut Organization and the Miss New Haven County Organization. Moving to Connecticut to start working and achieving my Masters in Science was a leap away from family once again for me (I just left Alabama)! I am SO thankful that I chose to join the Miss Connecticut Organization and especially that I got to join Ashley's team! Not only have they made me feel incredibly supported throughout my title so far, they have also welcomed me with open arms into their family! Long lasting friendships can sometimes be hard to find, but I know I have found more than one in the Miss New Haven Organization!

XOXO, Lauren

PS~ Also thankful for family time and kitty bonding!

CT Fallen Heroes Bus Trip

Raffles Raffles Raffles! I had the pleasure of joining the CT Fallen Heroes Organization for a bus trip to Mohegan Sun today! I sold raffle tickets for some awesome prizes and we raised a total of 700 dollars, half of which went to the organization! I then had the chance to meet some of the incredible shop owners at the casino mall and make some contacts! ( I also had a weak moment at Lush and bought more bath bombs hehe ) The trip went off without a hitch and I can't wait to update you on my next events with them come the new year!

XOXO Lauren

Dazzle Girl

I cannot contain my excitement about being a Dazzle Girl this coming year! Dazzle Boutique is one of the Miss Connecticut Organization's fabulous sponsors and I am ecstatic that I get to work closely with them this coming year! They have a new store opening December 3rd that you will be able to catch me at and then keep an eye out for a photo shoot in January!

XOXO Lauren

Personal Training!

Michelle Traynor is the absolute best! Not only did she give me a killer workout for our first meeting but she has also started me on my nutritional journey for Miss CT! I am anxious to see my body change and to form healthier eating habits!

XOXO Lauren

Sundae Spa

When I was a child I always wished I could be a princess for a day! Sundae Spa is now making that dream possible for little girls! It offers a complete customizable spa experience accompanied by sweets, ice-cream, princesses, outfits, and accessories! They even hold parties!!! The staff are fantastic, great with kids, and really know the business!

I had a blast at the grand opening with all the princesses, TV characters, and the radio station! I even had a scoop of homemade ice-cream! Shhh don't tell Michelle!

XOXO Lauren
                                                        

CT Fallen Heroes Veteran Celebration

I had my first appearance with the CT Fallen Heroes Foundation for their Veteran's Celebration! The live jazz music kept smiles on everyone's face (especially mine) and the food was delicious! I had the opportunity to introduce myself and my platform to those in attendance, as well as pull the raffles! The families of a few of CT's lost heroes were in attendance along with families of active military and veterans. The support shown was encouraging and I am even more excited now for my appearance coming up this weekend!

XOXO Lauren

CMN Chargerthon

The very first Chargerthon at the University of New Haven was a complete success! The dance marathon raised a large sum for Connecticut Children's through a 12 hour shift of dancing and games! A few of my sister queens and me had a blast during dance offs and being involved in the relay races! I particularly had fun with the egg race! Check out instagram to see a video of it!

In addition, the team at UNH did a fantastic job highlighting some of the children we were dancing for. #forthekids

XOXO Lauren

Veteran's Day Tea and Luncheon

The Hamden's Woman Club welcomed me with open arms this morning to their Tea and Luncheon honoring female heroes! I had the chance to speak on my platform and the importance of not only supporting our active military but also our veterans. I also took the time to thank the many women in the room for breaking that glass ceiling and paving the way for the women of my generation to accomplish such amazing feats. That it was Veteran's Day made it even more special to both myself and the women veterans in the audience listening.




The Hamden community was incredibly supportive of the event and donated a total of 91 raffle baskets. All the money raised went to Homes for the Brave female home for the homeless. I had the pleasure of pulling the raffles and seeing just how generous the donations truly were! I even participated and won an awesome smart scale for baking!




My favorite part of the event, however, was listening to a female veteran speak about her experiences. It is easy to forgot for young women like me that there was a time when women had to fight tooth and nail for the basic privileges that men received. Her journey was not only awe inspiring but it also demonstrated how far we have come and just how far we as women have left to go.

With that said, remember that everyday should be Veteran's Day and continue to honor and support our warriors!

XOXO Lauren

Yankee Candle Fundraiser

LAST  DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Click and follow the link in the side bar -> to join me in raising money for CMN! Thank you to those of you that have already participated and I know you will love all the goodies being mailed to you!

XOXO Lauren

Healthtrax Fitness & Wellness

Just signed up to start my fitness journey at our sponsor Healthtrax Fitness & Wellness! They are generous enough to sponsor all of us Miss Connecticut titleholders! I am super excited, so stay tuned to learn more about their awesome facilities!


   XOXO Lauren

Last Week for the Yankee Candle Fundraiser

It is almost over! This is the last week to order your holiday gifts! Remember that all the profits go to Children's Miracle Network and the wonderful kids who need our support and help! Hope to see your name pop up :)

PS- the fundraiser link is to the right ->

XOXO Lauren

Jamie's Run for Connecticut Children's

This morning Jamie Lynn Knott had over a thousand runners who came out to honor her memory and other cancer victims and survivors. The event raised money for Connecticut Children's which is a Children's Miracle Network Hospital. It was such a rewarding morning spent with CMN patients and other individuals who know the importance of the organization and all that it does! There was food, music, inflatables, and sponsors who made the event full of smiles!


XOXO Lauren

                                                                

Miss Wolcott

Everyone give some warm shout outs to the newest member of the class of 2018, Alex Gia! She was crowned as the new Miss Wolcott! It is always amazing attending local pageants and seeing the incredible community support and last night was no exception. Wolcott came out in masses to find out who their new representative would be and I can tell that Alex will do so much over her year!

XOXO Lauren

Vets Rock

Mohegan Sun hosted the Vets Rock Expo today and it was a smashing success! I spent some wonderful time at the University of New Haven table to help veterans find education opportunities. I then travelled around the expo and made some fantastic connections with some of the charities in CT that do much needed work for our veterans and active military! Keep an eye out for a host of appearances soon :)

XOXO Lauren