Tag: meditation

Hello Everyone and a very Merry Christmas! I don’t anticipate many of you to be reading on Christmas Day, but if you are then welcome!

Here’s a look at how my last few weeks and days looked:

 I hope your day is filled with peace, love, joy, family, friends and wonderful memories. If today is challenging for you, know that I am thinking of you. 

If you are reading this over the Christmas week, thank you for being here. I appreciate your support and you taking the time to read my posts.

Today, I am looking back on 2024, what a year it was. This year was filled with leaning into routines, new adventures, attempting new hobbies, going through some growing pains and travel.

A lot of things changed, but a lot of things stayed status quo. I’m eager to see what 2025 will bring for me. There’s something special about going into a new year with a fresh slate, some uncertainty, but knowing it will all work out. Before we jump too far ahead to 2025 (more on that next week), I want to reflect on 2024 and look back at these past 365 days and share some of my favorite things too! Let’s get to it.

A Look Back on 2024

The year began with me keeping up with my running consistently. You will be able to see my progress as the year progresses. 

I also spent a lot of time in the kitchen trying new recipes.

I tried to get as much fresh air as possible when the weather cooperated.

I tried a new hobby with piano and kept up with it all year.

In February, I enjoyed the Super Bowl with a big spread.

I also celebrated Valentine’s Day with homemade cookies and chocolate.

I ended the month with a trip to Cleveland to watch the Cavaliers.

The spring brought St. Patrick’s Day, seeing the total solar eclipse and the start of warmer weather.

The warmer weather also led to longer runs and walks, Easter and baseball games!

I turned 26 in May!

The summer was spent with all the time outdoors, between swimming, reading, walking, and running.

I went on adventures near and far. 

I donated blood for the first time this summer and have continued to do so through the year.

I also enjoyed blueberry and cherry picking and got some tasty treats out of those.

I celebrated the Fourth of July by running a 10K and enjoying time with family and friends.

I kept up with the garden but didn’t get as many vegetables as I had hoped.

I traveled to Cleveland in the summer as well as Montreal for a day, but the big trip was with my family to Italy.

You can read about Montreal here.

You can read about Italy in two parts, part one here and part two here.

The end of summer led me to running more places around my hometown. 

I took some weekend trips to Boston and got to explore the area there more.

I enjoyed the changing of the leaves and all things fall, from baking, to festivals, and decorations.

November brought another trip to Boston, Thanksgiving and so much snow!

I also hit a new PR with my 10K Turkey Trot!

December was all about Christmas prep and cheer and now here we are looking back at it all.

This was quite a year filled with lots of time spent with family, my boyfriend, friends, and with myself. I learned a lot about myself this year and have seen personal growth as well. I’m eager to see what the new year will bring and I hope you will come along on the journey with me.

Now onto the favorites of 2024! 

Oprah may have had her favorite things each year, but these are mine. I tried to narrow it down to one item per category, but that didn’t always happen. Here’s a look at my favorite things with their reviews too!

Favorite Books: I couldn’t narrow it down to one, so here are my top three with reviews. I read 68 books this year. You can see a full list of them on my Instagram stories or by looking at each month’s Currently.

Lessons in Chemistry–Lessons in Chemistry is all about a chemist who hosts a cooking show in the 1960’s. I loved the combination of science and cooking and how they were intertwined throughout the book. The romance between Calvin and Elizabeth made my heart soar, but my favorite part was the importance of women working in a male dominated field in the 1960’s. It was made into a series on Apple TV that I watched as well and really enjoyed the comparison of the two.

The Plan–The Plan by Kendra Adachi. This is Adachi’s third book and it’s all about planning, organization, and compassionate time management. She lays out ideas and principles for how to plan and organize your life, but the best part is that you can tailor it to your own wants and needs. I found myself taking notes while reading it and have applied so many principles to my own life. If you have read or listened to Adachi’s podcast or books, you can almost hear her voice across the pages. 5 Stars from me!

The 5 AM Club– I’m not kidding when I say this book changed my life. The 5 AM Club is all about ways to make the most of your mornings to elevate your life. It’s told in a unique way, but has so many incredible lessons and skills to apply to your life. I read it through the library, but I found it so informative that I’m considering buying it. Definitely a book to make notes and highlight as you go along.

Favorite TV Show- While I watched a lot of recurring shows like the Masked Singer or Grey’s Anatomy, these two mini series really stuck with me.

Lessons in Chemistry– This was a mini-series on Apple TV based on the book and I really enjoyed watching it after I read the novel. It was very close to the book too which I appreciated.

The Girls on the Bus-The Girls on the Bus on HBO Max. It’s all about four different female journalists as they hit the campaign trail for election season. I love all the different personalities and perspectives the characters bring. I have found myself identifying with different characters at different times. I was sad to learn it got cancelled after one season, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching it in its entirety.

Favorite Movie– Although, this just came out, how could it not be a favorite of mine.

Wicked was so good this year. I think they did a great job with the casting. I loved the costumes and the cinematography as well as the setting. I definitely think it lived up to its expectations. It was a longer movie, but the music, singing, dancing, and plot moved it along.

Favorite Fashion Items– I had to choose two for this category (an article of clothing and shoe that I wore time and time again.) I loved these purchases this year and got a lot of use out of them.

Red Rain Coat-I have been on the hunt for a raincoat ever since I got caught in a rain storm in September. I was looking for a durable, waterproof coat that would keep me dry and wasn’t too boxy. I hoped to find something that was sporty but still could be worn out and about.  I also wanted it to be red. I found all those qualities with this raincoat from Land’s End.

Summer Wedges-I got these wedges form Marshall’s. Wedges provide more support for me and I can pair them with multiple outfits. You can wear these with a pair of white jeans or capris and fun blouse, a short sundress, or a longer, flowy dress depending on the occasion.

Favorite Podcast– I listen to podcasts weekly, some of my favorite are The Lazy Genius Podcast and Books, Beach, and Beyond Podcast but

The Simple Sophisticate by Shannon Ables is my new favoirte podcast. She started the podcast after her blog back in 2014 and still continues with episodes to this day. The theme of the podcast is all about living a simpler, calmer, and French way of life. Ables has such a soothing voice and attitude that you will find yourself relaxing and feeling peaceful no matter what she is talking about. Episodes vary from 30-60 mins.

Favorite App– I tried to Mediate more this year and practice mindfulness and this app has made it so much easier. I have found it to be very beneficial, especially when I am overwhelmed and stressed out. I typically take time at the start and end of my day for breathing, but have found myself doing exercises through the day too. I have been using the app, Insight Timer daily and it’s been doing a great job at holding me accountable and providing resources for guided meditations and breathing exercises. I am just using the free trial, but have been really loving it.

Favorite Hobby-I never thought I would love running as much as I do, but here I am. It has become such a stress reliever for me and I genuinely enjoy the journey. I started this year only being able to run five miles at one time and through the year have worked my way to… I have found so much joy through running and can’t wait to continue it in the new year with some new goals in mind.

Here’s some of my favorite runs from this year!

Favorite Trip and Day Trip– I have two favorite trips this year, a day trip to Montrel and my family’s incredible trip to Italy. You can read both of the reviews above!

Favorite Recipe– I spent so much time in the kitchen this year and accomplished my goal of making one new meal a week. That’s trying at least 52 meals, if not more. 

My top meals were:

 Wedding Soup

 Turkey Pot Pie

Homemade Gumbo

That’s a look at my favorite things from this past year. It was so hard to narrow it down, but it was very reflective to see how much I accomplished. Here’s a look at my resolutions and how I did. 

Here’s my Resolution post from January. My motto for the year was to be open and aware of change and I think I did a good job of that. I went through some life changes and grew from them while also staying true to myself along the way. I will share more about how well I did with accomplishing my goals next week in my 2025 Resolutions post, but for now, I’m really proud of myself for how I have grown and changed this year. I’m still a work in progress, but I’m happy who I see when I look in the mirror.

Thank you so much for being along on this journey through 2024 with me, whether you have been here since day one or you are reading this for the first time, I appreciate you and you taking the time to be with me. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas week and New Year’s Eve too. I’ll be back here on Friday for some Friday favorites! See you then!

Merry Christmas!