Hello All!
Happy end of September! By the end of August, I was so ready for September. This has been a month of adjusting, finding new routines, and self care, plus family time, travels, and time reconnecting with friends. The seasons changed from summer to fall and now we are in full fall mode and I am ready for it.
As we get ready for a new month just days away, I’m sharing a look into life lately.
What I’ve Been Up To:
I have been finding new places to run this month. I’ve run by the water and in different parks. It’s been fun to find new places and try new terrain to challenge myself.
I also hit a new milestone in my distance by running 9.5 miles, which I’m really proud of.
Another highlight of the month was getting my new Simplified planner for 2025. I went with Blush Block and can’t wait for the new year to break out my new planner.
I also got in one last zoo trip of the season on a beautiful day.
What I’m Wearing:
I have been trying to wear all my summer clothes before it gets too cold out. I have been wearing lots of shorts and blouse sets for heading out to dinner or time with friends.
This was another outfit I wore for work recently as we transition from summer to winter. The blazers are coming back.
I wore this for a day out and about and even though I wore white after Labor Day, the layers made me feel very fall-like.
What I’m Reading:
Atomic Habits–Atomic Habits by James Clear discusses the importance of building habits, creating routines, and starting small. He goes in-depth about the science and psychology of habits. He also gives real life examples of how to start small and build up to making life changes. I love and thrive off a good routine and rhythm and found this book fascinating. I learned so much and it really helped me better understand some of my habits and how I can build off them.
Just for the Summer– Abby Jiminez’s Just for the Summer was a really easy book to get swept into. It’s about a man and woman who both have the same issue, they date people, break up and then the person they are dating find their soulmate. The man and woman decide to date with hopes of finding their soulmate next. But life throws them both some curveballs. This wasn’t your typical beach read, there is a lot of depth and meat to it.
Swan Song– The final Elin Hilderbrand, Nantucket book, Swan Song follows a couple who moves to the island and immediately makes themselves a part of the community, but there is a bit of a mystery to them especially when they hire a girl who has no connection to Nantucket either. I like how there is more substance to Hilderbrand’s books, they aren’t just light and fluffy. here were a lot of references to past characters from other books, and I loved the description of Nantucket and all the restaurants and hot spots.
The Lazy Genius Way– I have been a big fan of Kendra Adachi and listen to her podcast weekly. I finally got around to reading her book, The Lazy Genius Way and I loved it. She goes in depth with a lot of the topics she covers in her podcast. I love how she writes very conversationally. I also got a workbook to go alongside it and found myself taking notes along the way. If you are looking for a book on how to work and live smarter and not harder, this is it.
The Five Star Weekend– I was on an Elin Hilderbrand role this month between watching The Perfect Couple, reading Swan Song and listening to The Five Star Weekend. I really loved this book, it’s all about a woman who invites four friends from different points of her life for a weekend on Nantucket. I loved hearing how all the friendships came to be and about the weekend itself. The description of Nantucket makes me want to visit. I also loved the storyline and the unexpected twists and drama too. It gets 5 Stars from me.
The Rom Commers- I ended the month with the Rom Commers by Katherine Center. It’s about two screenwriters (one very well-known and one newbie who are paired together together to write a screenplay for a romantic comedy together. There’s tension between the two at the start, but in typical rom-com fashion, feelings begin to bubble. I really liked the character development, but there were a few plot points that seemed a bit far fetched. But the concept and ending were worth it.
What I’m Watching: This past month I have been catching up on shows as the weather gets cooler. I finished season four of Emily in Paris which was really good. I liked the second half more than the first., but overall it was a good season.
My boyfriend and I have also been making our way through Breaking Bad which has been a new genre to us, but a good show and I’m glad we are watching it.
I also watched the mini-series, The Perfect Couple which is based on Elin Hilderbrand’s book and really loved the series and it followed the book pretty close.
What I’m Cooking: I have been back on the cooking train and have really been enjoying cooking with seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Grilled Chicken and Peach Salad– This was such a flavorful meal. I loved the mixture of fruits and vegetables with the protein. I also have been adding feta cheese or almonds or pecans for some extra flavor.
Ham, Cheese and Apple Flatbread- This was an easy lunch. I used sliced ham, provolone cheese and sliced apples on a flatbread and put it in the Airfryer for a few minutes. I loved the mix of flavors and the crispness of toasting it. This was a great fall-like meal too.
Grilled Chicken and Roasted Zucchini– Another easy, flavorful, and healthy meal. I really loved the mix of vegetables and the flavor of the chicken combined with it. It also took less than an hour to make, super easy on a busy night.
Chickpea Salad- i found this recipe on Pinterest and made it for my lunch for work. I really loved the chickpeas mixed with the vegetables and Italian dressing. It was very filling and healthy too, plus a great source of protein.
Shrimp Stir Fry– This was an easy one pot recipe that was very filling and flavorful. It took under 30 minutes to cook the shrimp, rice, and veggies and combine them all.
What Inspires Me– I have been inspired by the warm weather and by trying to get outside for as much of the month as possible.
What I Accomplished– I’m really proud of the time I have devoted to reconnecting with friends and family and myself. The summer, especially towards the end, was super busy and I got out of my routine and I’m really glad to have gotten back into a good rhythm this past month.
Goals from Last Month– I really wanted to establish new routines and spend more time with my hobbies and I definitely did that. I’m also proud of all the time I have spent catching up with friends. Plus, I did some traveling too which was fun!
I also accomplished a goal of creating a photo album from my family’s trip to Italy. I made on back from when I went in 2019 and created an updated one. I was so happy with how it turned out.
My mom and I had a girl’s night in and my pup crashed the party.
I ended the month with a weekend getaway that felt very fall-like with rainy and chilly temperatures.
Goals for this Month– I am looking forward to fully being in fall mode. I’m excited for fall fests, Halloween, plus some fun activities sprinkled through the month. I am also looking forward to accomplishing things on my fall bucket list.
That’s a look into life lately. Fresh starts, getting back into routines and the start of fall. What has your September been like? Are you ready for the new month? Let me know in the comments below! Welcome October!
