Tag: accountability

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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #103

Hello everyone! 

Happy Friday! I hope you are having a great week and have something fun planned for the weekend. The weather is gorgeous, the days are long and so many memories are being made. 

A dinner and walk by the water is always a good idea in the summer.

This summer is going by too fast. I feel like we were just in June and kicking off summer and now July is half way done. I am doing my best to savor the summer days and nights, but my social calendar keeps filling up. It’s all good things and lots of fun activities, but it’s still busy, I’m hoping to create more space in my calendar for rest, we will see how that goes.

As we get ready for another weekend, I’m sharing some of my favorite things from the past week as I link up with Erika and Andrea.

This week’s edition of Friday Favorites is a mix of fashion, food, and summer fun! Let’s dive right in.

New Polka Dotted Shorts– I was browsing through Marshall’s recently and came across these polka-dotted shorts. I love a good pair or solid shorts ( I have the standard white, blue, black and red) and while these did have a bit of a print to them, I decided to try them out. They were a perfect fit, not too loose or tight and not too long or short. The polka dots are subtle and besides wearing them with a navy blue or white blouse or t-shirt, you can match any solid shirt with them. For the Fourth of July, I paired the blue and white shorts with a red shirt and white sandals. I felt patriotic and comfortable. I’m excited to pair these shorts with other tops through the summer.

Texas Caviar Recipe– I saw this recipe for Texas Caviar online and figured a big party like the Fourth of July would be the best place to try it. It went over pretty well. It’s essentially a variety of beans and veggies mixed together with a light dressing. It can be enjoyed by itself or with chips and over tacos too. It was healthy and filling and I know I will be making it again in the future. You can find the recipe here. 

Blueberries- Cherries were a favorite a few weeks ago and blueberries are a favorite today. My boyfriend and I went blueberry picking and we got bushels of blueberries. I enjoy eating the berries on their own, with other fruits or in recipes. I have been on the hunt for some new recipes to try and Pinterest is always my go-to when I am looking for inspiration.

Summer Reading– This may seem juvenile, but as a reader and fan of the library, I am participating in our summer reading program. Through our system, you have to keep track of whenever you read 30 minutes and mark it off. You can read books, magazines, articles etc. Once you complete so many minutes, you can turn in your sheet and get a new one to be entered to win different prizes. I love the accountability aspect of it and it really shows how much reading you can do. I love to read in the morning and at night, but have found myself sneaking in more time to read through the day. 

Just the Nicest Couple– I finished the book “Just the Nicest Couple” a few weeks ago. I read it on the Libby app through my phone which allows me to read library books wherever I am. I find myself wanting to pick up a book as opposed to scrolling on social media. Now onto the book, “Just the Nicest Couple” is all about a man who goes missing and one of the last people to see him alive is his wife’s best friend. Did she have something to do with it or is she being framed? These two couples who you think may be friends, may not be as close as they seem. There were some great twists, turns and plot points and I really got into the book, so much so I kept finding times to pull out my phone and read more. If you like a good mystery thriller that’s not too scary, this book is for you.

That’s a look into what I’m loving this week, some snacks, books, and clothes. I hope the sun is shining wherever you are and life is good!

Have a great weekend!

Categories
Fabulous living

New Year’s Resolution Check-In

Hi everyone and Happy July!

Can you believe that we are already seven months into the year? I feel like we were just celebrating the holidays and hunkering down for winter and now we are in full summer mode. This has been such a good summer so far, and in good news, we still have a lot more to enjoy. These past few weeks have been filled with walks, reading by the pool, grilling and family time.

Outdoor walks by the water have been a favorite of mine recently

Plus, tomorrow is the Fourth of July-one of my favorite summer traditions. 

Since we are just passed the halfway point of the year, I figured it would be a good time to do a New Year’s Resolution check in to see how I’ve been doing so far with my goals for 2024.

Here’s a look at my post from the start of the year.

My top resolutions that I set for this year were:

-Donate Blood

-Do 8K or 10K

-Re-Learn Piano

-Learn How to Braid Hair

-Cook a New Recipe a Week

We are half way through and I’ve tackled a handful of these already.

Let’s get into it:

–Donate Blood– I donated blood for the first-time last month, although it took until June to do it, I accomplished it, and it was not as scary as I thought it would be. My boyfriend is an avid blood donor and has been encouraging me to do it for years. We made a date out of it, and it felt good to give back and save lives. I was most concerned about the pain and passing out afterwards, but thankfully, all went smoothly, no pain during or after and no passing out. Success!  I will definitely be donating again when I am eligible. If you are ever on the fence about doing something out of your comfort zone, don’t like fear cause you to back out.

–Do an 8K or 10K- I will be accomplishing this tomorrow! Most races happen on the weekends when I work, but I found one that was happening on one of my days off. I will be running a 10K tomorrow for the Fourth of July. I have been upping my mileage over the past few months and I’m looking forward to seeing how I do timewise tomorrow. I have been focusing more on distance rather than speed, so I’m anxious to see how it goes. I’ll be back here on Friday to let you know the final results.

–Re-Learn Piano-This has been a hobby that I started at the beginning of the year and have been consistent about it over the past seven months. I aim to practice for ten minutes a day at least five times a week. Sometimes, I practice all seven days, other days, I only practice for five days. There are even some days when I do practices on my phone on the go, it just varies week to week. I have been using Simply Piano to teach myself. This hobby has been one of the more challenging hobbies I have attempted. Some days, I really love learning new music and playing well-known songs, other days, I get frustrated and want to throw in the towel, but I take a deep breath and keep practicing (even though it does annoy my dog and I’m sure my family at times.) This has been a learning experience unlike other hobbies I have attempted but I have been proud of the progress I have made so far.

-Learn How to Braid Hair– I have not attempted this yet and that’s due to the fact that I got a haircut and got layers which makes it harder to braid. I do have many how-to braid ideas saved on Pinterest and that has been giving me inspiration. I just need some longer hair to get there haha! However, this does give me something to work towards for the second half of the year.

– Cook a New Recipe A Week– This has been something I have been really proud of. I have been doing lots of cooking this year and once again have been consistent by cooking one new meal a week. I have been getting recipes from blogs, cookbooks and Pinterest. I have been loving getting more comfortable in the kitchen and trying new recipes and gadgets. These will be great skills to have when I am on my own soon. I have to give a huge shout out to my family for indulging me in all my new recipes. Some have been hits and others misses. I need to get better about making sure I make enough food for everyone. I’ve done super creative dishes and simple, one pot meals too. This has been such a fun passion and skill to improve on and I’m looking forward to trying even more recipes as the seasons change through the rest of the year. 

Big meals
Soups
Salads

There you have it. My New Year’s Resolution Check-In! I’m proud with how many things I have accomplished so far and behind the scenes, I’m proud of the personal growth I have seen in myself over the past several months. Although, I have made a lot of strides in my New Year’s Resolutions, we still have five more months left in the year, plenty of time for more improvement and consistency.

Tell me: how are your new year’s resolutions coming so far? 

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July!

I’ll see you back here on Friday!

Categories
Fabulous living

New Year’s Resolutions Check-In


Happy Wednesday!

Can you believe we are half way through a June and half way through 2022? This year is flying by. The winter months being cooped up inside certainly dragged, but once spring and summer came around and I’ve been able to get outside more, the days are flying by. I’m doing everything I can to make the most of my days off and time after work by being outdoors. 

A walk on a day off is the best way to enjoy summer.

With the second half of the year ahead of us, I wanted to look back on my New Year’s resolutions to see how I’ve done so far and what areas I can improve in.

You can see my New Years resolutions here. 

I broke up my resolutions into the categories of physical, spiritual, professional and lifestyle.

For my physical goals, I wanted to focus on eating more veggies and I’m so proud to say that I’ve been eating vegetables every day with multiple meals. I’ve done my best to use a vegetable as a replacement for a chip or carb with meals. Hello celery sticks instead of potato chips.

I ultimately feel better when I eat more vegetables compared to more carbs, which I know sounds like a no brainer, but to feel the effects is rewarding. I’m going to continue to add more fruits and vegetables to my plate for all meals and snacks for the next six months of the year.

For spiritual goals, I wanted to spend more time with Jesus besides just going to Church once a week. Although, I’ve been happy with being more consistent with my prayer life this year, I know there’s still so much I can do. I want to continue to live out my faith with my actions and get more involved with my church and community (one of my goals for 24, if you recall). I always start my days with journaling and praying but want to do more for a more fulfilling faith life. After all, the ultimate goal in life is to be with God. 

The Laudate app makes it easier to get Jesus time in during the morning.

For professional goals, I wanted to focus on being more creative in my storytelling. I’ve done a pretty good job of this so far, but I know there’s more ways to improve. I try to be creative when I have them time at work, but sometimes I’m in a real time crunch and I don’t always have the extra time to be creative. I want to think out of the box when telling stories and putting in the time to learn new things. I still want to boost my creativity in the second half of the year.

For lifestyle, one of my goals is to use more sustainable products and I’ve really done a good job with this. I almost always use plastic containers instead of baggies when packing my lunch. Thanks to more stores doing away with plastic bags, I’ve been using recycled and reusable bags. I know it’s not much but I feel good that I’m doing part.

That’s a look at my resolutions so far, I’ve certainly made progress in many areas, but I know I have lots of ways to improve. I like to use these check-ins to hold myself accountable and hopefully help you hold yourself accountable to when it comes to our resolutions. It’s great to set goals at the beginning of the year, but it’s even more important to stick to them. How has your resolutions been going so far? Sticking to them or have a few gone to the wayside?

Let me know in the comments below!