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Currently

Currently #19

Hey guys! Happy Wednesday! If I had to describe this month in one word it would be rain. We had so much rain, when we finally got our first day of sunshine, I couldn’t be happier. I’m all for a rainy day here or there but not for a month of summer. But the good news is we have had plenty of sunny days since then. Here’s a look into my life this past month.

What I’m up to: I’ve been doing a lot of indoor activities and seeing lots of family and friends. I saw family over the Fourth of July which was great. I also went to my high school reunion with some friends that I’m still close with. I also saw some college friends too. It was a busy month, but I was so happy to do so many things and see so many people. I also took on a new role at work, it’s been fun to learn new things!

Behind the scene at work

What I’m wearing: I got some new work dresses from Amazon. I can’t wait to show you them soon in. post in a few weeks! For days off, I have been wearing lots of shorts and tee shirt sets and of course a few easy throw on dresses. Here’s my past posts on summer looks and vacation looks.

One of my Amazon purchases!

What I’m reading: I finished The Bookstore on the Beach. It was definitely a fun and summer read. It was a lot deeper than I thought, there was a lot of challenging issues that were tackled. I really liked how there was a lot about the relationships between mothers and their daughters. Speaking of women, our book club book for this month was called The Secret Lives of the First Ladies. It was a fun historical read. The writing was very modern and light. It almost felt as if you were having conversations with them. I learned a lot about the wives of the men who helped run our country. It also was interesting to see how much these women endured through their lives. I’m currently reading One Summer in Paris, I just started but it’s already looking to be a great read. 

What I’m Watching: Before you ask, yes, I am still watching Offspring, butttttt I’m on the final season! So hopefully this is the last time you read about it. But in all seriousness, it’s been a wonderful show. I’m so glad it was recommended to me. It’s a great show all about family dynamics and all the things they go through. It’s been a perfect show to watch in the spring and summer. Season 2 of Lupin was so good! I loved the ending. It felt like the first episode. It’s a must watch if you haven’t seen it yet. I also am catching up on Virgin River. It’s such a cute and classic Hallmark-y show on Netflix. It’s been such a light summer show. Definitely recommend if you are looking for a summer show. 

What I’m Loving: I’ve been loving the simple things. With all the rain these past few weeks, I’ve loved taking time to read more, curl up and light a candle or watch movies or tv shows. But when the rain breaks, I love getting out for a walk or just sitting outside. Plus, nothing says summer like some fresh flowers or an ice cream cone! Taking summer adventures have been fun too!

Heading to the Botanical Gardens in Cleveland has been a fun summer adventure
Another shot of the botanical gardens

What Inspires Me: I’m inspired by all the green after the rain. Everything looks so much more alive after a storm. I’ve also been inspired by supporting more local spots for meals and treats. It’s been so nice to see the community out and about more this summer and enjoying food at home!

Enjoying a summer brunch outside

What I accomplished: I’ve loved being able to see so many friends and family this past month. That has been a huge accomplishment. I’ve also gotten adjusted to my new routine and schedule which has made life much easier. 

Goals Accomplished from Last Month I got to celebrate the Fourth of July after work with family and friends. From yummy food, to fireworks, and seeing people. It was one of my favorite days of the year. I’m also getting lots of things done on my summer to do list.

Fireworks on the Fourth
My little pup getting in the Independence Day spirit!

Goals for the New Month: Enjoy the last month of summer! Luckily, I don’t have to go back to school but my siblings will. It’s been so nice to have another summer home with them. I can’t wait for more time outside and in the sun and continuing to see family and friends

A tasty meal outside supporting a local spot is my idea of a perfect time!

That’s a look into my life this month. What things have you been doing this past month. Let me know!

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Fabulous living

Managing Stress

Hello everyone! I hope your week is off to a great start as your summers get underway. Although the summer months are filled with fun, adventures, and lots of time outside but it also means a change of routine which can cause lots of stress. Whether you have a high stress job or pockets of stress in your life, there’s always things to do to manage or lower your stress. 

Here are some of my top tips for managing stress. 

  • When life gets to be a lot, write it down.

I always feel better when I write my to do list or what’s on my mind down, I always feel a lot better, plus when I see it all written down, it makes everything a lot more manageable. I also journal every day and that helps me reflect on the good every day and puts things in perspective too. I always start my day off with journaling and my daily prayers. When I start my day off with my routine

  • Get outside

Whenever a situation gets overwhelming or stressful, I find it helpful to take a walk or get outside and just get some fresh air. Even if it’s just for 10 minutes, it makes a big difference. The sunshine makes it even better to get outside and just process things.

Going on walks is a favorite of mine
  • Talk it Out

I always feel better after I talk about my stressors or pain points with someone, whether it’s my mom or best friend. It always makes me feel better just to talk out what’s going on instead of bottling it up inside. 

  • Create a relaxing atmosphere 

Especially at the end of a stressful day, I like to create a soothing and relaxing atmosphere. Whether it’s burning some candles or using some essential oils, I like to cultivate a space that I can truly unwind and relax.

I saw this on Instagram and I couldn’t agree more. We all need time to just rest.
  • Breathing exercises 

I started to use the Mindfulness feature on my fitbit, it allows me to practice deep breathing whenever I need time to just pause and reset.

My mindfulness app

These are a few tricks that have worked for me. What things do you do to relax or manage your stress?

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Fabulous living

Where I’m At…

Hi all!

Happy Wednesday!

It’s warm and sunny out, we are officially in the spring season! There’s a sense of hope every day as we get closer and closer to summer and brighter days ahead. 

One of my goals for 2021 was to have more balance in my life and even though it’s only March, I’m so proud for how far I have come this year.

Last year, between starting a new job (one that I love but that can be unpredictable) and the pandemic. I felt rundown by the end of the year and I was looking for new outlets for creativity and hobbies and I have found that these past few months.

I am so happy where I am in terms of my work life and personal life especially when it comes to hobbies and activities outside of work. 

I have added a few hobbies to the mix and it has made my life much more fulfilling. 

A fun and productive activity that I have gotten into is cooking! I love to bake and cook, but I don’t always have the opportunity to bake or cook. This year, one of my goals was to cook one new meal a week. It’s a way for me to practice my cooking skills and I get to see my hard work payoff with a meal. I love cooking for my family, it’s a small way for me to give back to my family as a thank you for all the things they do for me. I have made soups, and sandwiches, pastas, and many more different dishes. Not every dish is a winner but I love being able to try new things and learn as I go. Cooking has been a great creative outlet for me this year and I know the things I’m learning now will help me greatly down the line. 

My latest dish…spicy shrimp and pasta

One of my other goals was to be more consistent with friends. Thanks to my book club, I am talking to some of my best friends from high school every week over facetime since we all live in different places. We talk about the books we are reading, we talk about how our work is going and what’s new. It so fun to consistently talk and catch up. Also, this helps so much with my goal to read every day. Whether it’s a chapter of a book or 30 mins of reading, I am accomplishing my goal of reading every single day and I absolutely love it. There is nothing better than books and good friends. 

Book Club!

Speaking of friends, I have started to go on weekly coffee dates and walks with one of my childhood friends. Every week for about a month now, we have been getting coffee from local shops and then going for a walk or browsing little shops or stores. We haven’t seen each other consistently for 5 years! It’s been soooo fun to catch up consistently. 

These three outlets have brought me so much joy! From learning new cooking skills and saving them for future use, or reading a lot more and being able to share that love of reading with friends or just getting outside and supporting local places with childhood friends. It’s amazing how much these little or mundane things bring so much joy and purpose into my life!

What are some things you do or have done to make your life more fulfilling this past year?

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Fabulous living

Things I’m Looking Forward To…

Hi everyone!

Happy Wednesday! I hope you are making it through the midweek slump, we are halfway to the weekend, which is much needed, in other good news…it’s March!! Anyone else had a tough time making it through the end of February?!

Last week, we got a day of sunshine and temperatures above 50! I had no idea how much I needed to feel sunshine and warmer temps, it was a definitely a burst of sunshine…no pun intended. Hehe….I am counting down to warmer weather and spring time even though we have a long way to go. 

One of my favorite blogs that I read every day is Carly’s. She has been blogging since college and writes about everything from fashion, food, lifestyle, home living and more. I love to start my days with her blog.  She did a post about things she is looking forward to after the pandemic and I loved the positivity, I wanted to try it for myself. To read her post, click here. The whole point is to think about what fun things you are looking forward to once things back to a semi-normal.

Here’s some things I’m looking forward to…

-Seeing people: I’ve kept my bubble of people fairly small this past year, mostly only seeing immediate family, a few close friends in the summer and co-workers. I’ve been able to talk to friends thanks to Facetime and Zoom way more frequently which has been such a blessing. I can’t wait for the day to see friends in person and give them a hug. Isn’t it weird how much we miss physical touch when we can’t have it?!

One of my last visits with my friend, Danielle, before Covid hit.

-Spontaneous Trips and Travel too: Right before the pandemic hit, I was visiting friends in Pittsburgh and then a week later we all got shutdown…I can’t wait to plan spontaneous trips and visits with friends on my days off. I want to enjoy myself and not be worried about being too close to people, going to another place and being concerned about getting others or myself sick. I also am looking forward to seeing more family. I was able to see some on the summer when cases were down, but once fall and winter hit, I’ve been hunkered down at home. Plus, I have a whole list of places that I want to explore and see, I’m hoping to do more of that once things settle down.

Looking forward to more travels in the future.

-Concerts: Although, I haven’t been to too many of them, there is nothing like live music. Although, it will take a while to get there, I’m looking forward to live music again and the whole concert like experience. 

One of the last concerts I went to was in 2018 and it was Ed Sheeran, I can’t wait to be get back to concerts in the future.

-Community Events: It may seem silly, but I miss the community atmosphere of my hometown, spontaneous meet-ups and nights spent out. In the summer there are always weekend activities and festivals and it’s always a fun time to see friends and neighbors out and about. 

 The most important is to get as many people vaccinated and to keep doing what experts are telling us, all to put an end to Covid-19. In a time full of loss and suffering and pain, it’s so nice to look on the bright side of things and dream about getting back to a semi-normal. If I have learned anything from this pandemic is how much I appreciate and love the little and simple things in life. It’s crazy what things we take for granted. 

What things are you looking forward to in the future?

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Fabulous living

One Year in News

Hello all! Happy Wednesday!

I hope your week and year is off to a great start! Now, that the holidays have calmed down, I wanted to reflect on my first year as a reporter. I did a recap in the summer about what I have learned 6 months in. You can read all about it here. In the past 6 months, I have learned even more. Every day I continue to grow and learn and get stronger in my skills as a reporter. I try to learn something new, I know not every day will be a slam dunk story, but I always try to take something away from it, whether it is a new editing skill, a better way to write something, or different way to be creative with my storytelling.

It’s always fun getting to share stories that are important to me

I have loved to tell people’s stories in my own hometown. From big to small stories, whether it was an event going on, like a toy distribution for Christmas, talking to local businesses about struggles of the past year, covering historic events like the first Covid-19 vaccines arriving in Erie, following the election, and everything in between. I have travelled to other states, neighboring counties or even just down the street to talk to people about their lives.

I also have got more opportunities at work too.  I have been able to fill in and anchor some of our shows. It’s something I have dream about doing for a long time and the fact I am anchoring them and producing them on my own is a huge accomplishment for me. I have covered for different shifts during the holidays, helped out to make sure things go smoothly and worked more on my craft through the year. I also love getting to work on our digital team and learn more about the art of producing and stacking shows, both skills that are helpful for anchoring.

Working the anchor desk on Christmas

When looking back on these past 12 months, I have learned a lot about the job, but some of my best memories are of conversations with co-workers or laughs when I was preparing for a story, from early more shifts, to late nights, working weekends or holidays when no one is there or when it’s all hands on deck. It has been a year of change and excitement. I have truly learned that it’s the people that make any job worthwhile. I am so lucky that I have such great and supportive co-workers and mentors to learn from every day. Especially working long days and hours, it helps to have co-workers that make the days go by fast.

In the middle of a live interview

I have worked long days and shifts, but I covered winter weather, tornado damage, breaking news, things reopening, things shutting down, back to school, new events and opportunities for the community, exciting and happy stories, and ones that break your heart. In the end, I love what I do. I love that I get to find stories and tell them, meet people and get their message out. It’s so special and surreal that I get the chance to give people the news.

Covering the presidential election

It’s also been too fun to have my family and friends watch me and send me pictures of it and supporting me. It’s such a humbling experience that I don’t take for granted.

Getting pictures from friends and family that watch me never gets old.

Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better first year in news, it truly was a monumental time to get, I can’t wait to learn more and grow and see where I am a year from now.

It’s been an incredible first year, let’s bring on year two!!!

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Fabulous living

2020 Recap

Hi everyone! I hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas and holiday weekend. Although, I spent more time at work during the past few days, I was very glad I got to spend time with my family before and after work. The holidays may have looked different this year, but I still love everything that comes with them from the prep, the gift giving, the baking, and the traditions.

I don’t know about you, but I am ready for 2021, a lot of good things came from this past year, but I’m ready for a fresh start, new beginnings, and new goals. Check back in next week for my goals for 2021, I’m still working on them but I’m excited for what the new year. 

In years past, I would typically have a long post with lots of things I did, places I went and people I met, and many memories made, well, this year turned out very different than I planned, so my recap looks different. 

In the past year, it feels like it just started and at the same time, never happened, almost like a blur. I never thought my first year working in news would look like this, but it truly was a historical time to be reporting. I’ll have more on my first year in news in the coming weeks as well.

Back to looking back on 2020, the year started out by jumping straight into work. I learned a lot during my first weeks and I made some of my closests friends during my first month at work. 

I also bought my first car in January which was very exciting.

My first car!

In March, before the world halted, I was able to see some of my college friends which was fun and great to catch up. One week later, the world paused, as country by country closed their borders, states shut down, businesses closed their doors, students and adults all began working from home. It was definitely a weird time. Work kept me busy. I covered latest developments and cancellations, worked from a second location most of the time, handled daily news conferences and dealt with constant information while so many things got cancelled. 

Seeing friends one week before everything shutdown

The spring brought extra time with family as everyone worked at home, it was nice that even though I would be busy at work, I still got lots of family time, time that I may not have gotten without the pandemic. I got to work on my first week long series about businesses reopening which was so special to highlight businesses that I know and love. It also brought covering the morning after riots happened in our downtown.

The morning after riot coverage

The summer brought lots of time spent outside walking, running, swimming and eating outside to support local restaurants. After more things opened up, I was back in the gym 5 days a week which I loved for my physical and mental health. The summer reminded me to stop and enjoy the little moments in life.

Beach day and a day trip, lots to time spent outside

I got to see a few friends, masked and socially distanced and some family, again all masked and six feet apart. 

Seeing friends socially distant

The fall brought lots of stories about schools going back, including my own siblings. It also brought lots of the historic Election coverage, from visits to Erie and working on Election night, to seeing ow our next President would be. 

Covering President Trump coming to Erie.

The fall also brought the passing of our sweet pup, Hershey Kiss. 

My sweet Hershey Kiss

At work, I got to anchor my first show and I have filled in on the desk since then, a goal I have been working towards for months and I continue to grow and get better. 

Anchoring my first show

The winter brought getting ready for the holidays, making new traditions and memories, and seeing some of the first vaccines distributed here in Erie. 

All my gifts wrapped for Christmas

Throughout 2020, I worked on every single holiday, worked every shift, tried new roles, and got better at my previous roles. 

2020 brought lots of binge-watching, hello Tiger King, 30 Rock, Emily in Paris, Schitt’s Creek, The Crown, and more! 

It brought more family time, lots of facetimes with friends, making new friends and starting a new relationship. 2020 you weren’t so bad after all….2021, I am ready for you!

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Fabulous living Fun Ways to Organize

2020 Resolutions and Goal Recap

Hi everyone! Happy Wednesday! Can you believe that we are almost to new year. I always like to take some time to reflect on the past year and my goals and accomplishments and do a little recap. A full 2020 recap will be coming soon, so be sure to stay tuned. But today, I wanted to break down my goals from 2020 and do a little check in to see how far I have come. To see my goals for this year. You can see them here.

My main goal this year was to learn and love. Since I started a new job a year ago, I wanted to learn as much as I could this first year, from the job itself, to learning from the people I work with, to learning about myself as a reporter, and learning about establishing new routines in my life. Overall, I’m very, very happy with how this year has gone.

Granted, 2020, has been quite a challenging and unpredictable year, but I personally have learned a lot and grown a lot too. I’ve worked hard to establish good routines, both on days I work and on my weekends. I’ve learned to give myself grace, find balance, put myself first and make sure my priorities are in order. I’ve learned how to be flexible and adapt to change. I’ve learned to make time for my family and friends, but also put myself first when it comes to my health and wellness. Having a sense of balance and purpose in my life helps so much when I have busy work days.

Also, I live by my planner, every appointment, story I do, to-do list, or note goes in there and that helps me stay in control and have a sense of order too. I love my simplified planner and I can’t wait to use it again next year, there is a space to write down your bucket list for the year, I jotted some ideas down and stood by them this year. 

Here is what was on my bucket list this year: 

  • See Old Friends (although, this year was far from normal, I was glad I could still see some of my friends from high school, safe and socially distant)
  • Stay Close with College friends (Again, I wish I could have seen more friends but I’m super thankful for maintaining college friendships despite not being able to see each other, plus, thank goodness for facetime!!!)
  • Travel some place new ( I wanted to travel more places, but hello pandemic!!!, my family and I did take a road trip which was fun and we created many family memories!)
  • Learn a lot at work (Yes, based on everything I’ve said above, I learned a lot at work and I’m still learning too!! That’s what I love about my job. I’m always, always learning)
  • Get involved with the community ( Thanks to my job, I am always learning about things going on around the community and I’m so lucky I get to really highlight my hometown with my job every day)
  • Make New Friends (I have made some of the best friends at my job and I learned from some incredible mentors too. It’s a wonderful feeling to be learning every day and love where you are doing it, is a wonderful feeling.)

2020, has been a year, but I’ve learned a lot from myself and I have grown a lot too. Here’s to new beginnings, goals, and bucket lists for 2021!!

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Currently

Currently #12

Hi everyone! Happy December! It’s one of my favorite times of the year! I love the holiday season! December is a busy month to get all things Christmas in, so I decided to get a jump on things and do a Currently earlier in the month so I can fit in as much as I can. Can you believe we have been doing a year full of Currentlys?! This has been such a fun monthly update from what I’m reading and watching and what’s going on. So, let’s get to this months currently. 

What I’m up to: Helllllooooo Christmas time! We have our decorations up, Christmas card ordered, and I have some of my shopping done. Christmas music has been playing during my drives in the car. Plus, we got a big snowfall last week which really got me in the Christmas spirit even more. 

What I’m wearing: My wardrobe has been all about layering up while being professional. I always and wearing more warmer and richer colors, all the reds, greens, blues, purples, etc.   

Bringing in warmer colors in my wardrobe

What I’m reading: I just finished One Day in December, it was so fun to get in the Christmas spirit. It’s a cute romantic comedy about two people Laurie and Lack who keep meeting up over the course of 10 years. From meeting up accidently, to meeting through friends, being from being friends and then separating, dating other people, new jobs and moving. I finished it in 2 sittings. It was so fun and light-hearted and it took place in the United Kingdom gave me some Bridget Jones vibes too! I am working my way through a new book that I can’t wait to share with you.

Such a fun read

What I’m Watching: I have been watching lots of holiday movies! From the classics to new movies on Netflix, I watched both the Holidate and Midnight at the Magnolia, both were super cute and light-hearted. I also love watching the classics, like Frosty and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I also finished watching season 4 of The Crown and it did not disappoint. It was the perfect mix of history and drama. I loved how realistic it was. Have you seen it? What was your take?

A fun holiday movies
Another cute Christmas movie

What I’m Loving: I’m doing the most of my time to get in the Christmas spirit when I’m not at work. I like to make the most of my time with family and friends and making memories whether they are little or big. Last week we went to a drive-thru light display  and although it was short, it was a great way in the holiday spirit. 

What Inspires Me: I really want to do my part this year when it comes to Christmas shopping and supporting small businesses too. Etsy has been my go-to this holiday season. I have been inspired by these small business and their creativity. I also love supporting local shops here and including them in my friend’s Christmas gifts too. 

This definitely gets me in the holiday spirit

What I accomplished: I have been helping my family do a lot of cleaning and organizing. It feels great to get rid of things and donate to others too especially this season. I also feel very accomplished with what I have gotten done so far in terms of gifts for others. Other than that, work has kept me pretty busy.  

Goals Accomplished from Last Month I know it wasn’t a full month but I’m looking to keep getting in the Christmas spirit and making memories and spending time with family and friends. I also managed to still celebrate Thanksgiving despite working too. 

Goals for the New Month: New year, new goals! I’m looking forward to recapping my goals from this past year in the upcoming weeks. I love to see how far I have come from year to year and I will be unveiling my 2021 goals in the new year. 

That’s just a look into life these past few weeks. What’s new in your lives?

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Fabulous living

What I’m Thankful For #4

Every year I like to take time and reflect on the past year and the things I’m thankful for. 

Here’s a look back from year’s past.

2019

2018

2017

2020 has been quite the year and there are so many things to be thankful for. 

First and foremost is my health, I’m so lucky and blessed to have good health this past year. 

I’m also super blessed for my family. This past year, I have been able to move home and get lots of extra family time, living at home during the pandemic also helped a lot too. I got bonus time I missed out on in college and time that I won’t always have when I move out on my own. I’m so lucky my family was healthy this past year. 

Throwback of my family together

My pets. A few weeks back, we lost one of our dogs, Hershey Kiss. It was very sudden and sad to see one of our dogs who has been with us for years pass away, with that being said, I’m so grateful for my other two dogs and the love they bring. 

My sweet Hershey Kiss

My friends. This year was definitely challenging since so many plans and activities were cancelled and I missed out on a lot of time with friends. I was able to spend time with friends socially distant and FaceTime and texted helped immensely. This past year also showed me the importance of maintaining friendships and it’s all about putting in effort. 


My friend Danielle and I
My friends Maddie and Ryan and I

My Job. I am very blessed to have a job that I got to work at through the pandemic. I also have grown and learned a lot during this past. I’m very grateful for co-workers that have turned into mentors and friends and even almost like family. 

My first time working Election night

I’m grateful for the tough days, the ones that I feel like I’m drowning or not doing anything right, because those are the days that I learn the most about myself. 

I’m grateful for the basic needs that I take for granted. I’m thankful for a home with a loving family, food on the table, a car to get to work in. All things that I’m lucky to have that others don’t have.

I’m thankful for my faith, on the good and bad days, I know God is always there for me and he will lead me on the path he has for me. 

I’m grateful for all the little moments and mundane things, from drives to work, walks, laughs, movie nights, baking, family dinners, good night sleeps, going to the gym and so many other little momenta that turn out to be the big ones.

That’s just a peak into my heart this Thanksgiving. What are you thankful for this year?

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Fabulous living

Summer Bucket List Recap

Well friends, it is the end of the summer. This summer has flown by, I think that has to do with the fact so many things are closed or not what they used to be due to Covid, but I also think due to working full time, summer just feels different. Although, I am sad to see summer go, I am looking forward to the new season. I set 20 goals for the summer and now that Labor Day is over, it’s time to see if I accomplished them all. 

Summer Bucket List
  • Read 20 Books (I’ve read 18 last summer so I want to up my books for this summer)
One of the books I read this summer, book review coming soon

No, this didn’t happen, between working full time and spending any free time with family or friends, I was upset this didn’t happen but I am looking forward to reading more once the weather is cooler and I’m inside more.

  • Finish 30 Rock (I keep starting it but never finish it)

No, I  am making my way through 30 Rock but still have another few seasons, I did start and finish The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which I absolutely loved! From the costumes to the characters, and them drama and the comedy, it was the perfect summer pick me up. 

  • Be outside for 3-4 days a week (whether its swimming, walking, or running)
Going on walks and cutting fresh flowers were a big part of my summer days

Yes! I spent so much time outside especially on my days off or before or after work. I went on a lot of walks, to parks, the beach and zoos. I loved making it a priority to get outside. 

  • Spend 30 minutes outside a day (Eating, reading, doing work, I want more sunshine)

Yes! Every morning before work I would spend some time outside to read, to work, or just for a walk, I loved getting some sunshine before I spend my day inside. I also liked spending time outside after a long day too. 

  • Go someplace new

Yes! I went on a few day trips which were great for the soul. It was good to get away for a breather and go someplace new, and I got to spend time outside which made it better too.

  • Catch up with college friends (lots of plans have gotten changed due to Coronavirus, so I’m hoping to start rescheduling things)

Yes! I was able to see friends over the summer, outside and socially distanced, but still it was great to see friends face to face instead of just over a screen. 

  • See high school friends (hoping to make more time for friends near and far)

Yes! I was able to see from high school friends for both breakfast and dinner, it was so great to catch up and see friends in person and not over a screen.

  • Entertain friends at home (I love entertaining so I’m hoping to have more friends over)

Yes! Although, it was different this year, I was still able to entertain and have people over. It was much more limited this summer due to Covid but having people over made me feel like things were a bit more normal. 

  • Wine Tasting (my friends and I have talked about doing this for ages, hoping we can finally make it happen this summer)

No, this didn’t happen, but we are planning to do it in the fall once it works better with people’s schedules and more things are open. 

  • Beach Day

Yes! It was great to spend some by the water on the beach and with not a care in the world. 

  • Dinner by the water (I love living by the water and having dinner by it is so nice)

I didn’t get dinner by the water but I did get lunch and a walk by the water which was perfect and we had beautiful weather too!

  • Kayaking (I love being on the water in any form)
Morning out kayaking

Yes! My brother and went kayaking one morning and it was great to be on the water and get some one on one time together.

  • Working out (I want to keep being consistent with it)

Yes! As soon as gyms reopened I was back in the gym five days a week. I can feel myself get stronger each time I am there which is the best feeling.

  • Pool Day

Yes! I got a handful of pool days this summer with my family and brothers which made me feel like a kid again.

  • Bonfire
Bonfire Fun

Yes! We had a bonfire at the beginning of the summer and I loved sitting by the fire with some of my favorite people.

  • Day Trips

Yes! Whether it was going to see family or friends I got many day trips in which worked out great especially with Covid. 

Beach day and a day trip
  • Really take time to slow down ( I took the time during Coronavirus to slow down and I want to continue to do that)

Yes! On mornings before work I was able to relax and take it easy and on my days off I tried to have one busy day with getting things done and one day that was more laid back and relaxed. I want to try to keep this up in the fall too.

  • Summer restaurants (I have a few favorite seasonal places that I can’t wait to get back to)

Yes! I was able to hit my favorite spots this summer and introduce my friends to them too which was even more special.

  • Ice Cream shops

Yes! I ate too much ice cream this summer and hit all of my favorite spots. One day I had ice cream twice! 

  • Take advantage of local spots and free activities

Yes! I got to do a lot of my favorite things this summer that were local, especially in these hard times, it’s always great to support local!

Well there you have it! I am so happy with what I accomplished, from local spots, favorite food places and time outside, I couldn’t have asked for