Tag: quiet time

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Fabulous living

Romanticizing Your Life

Hi everyone! 

We are halfway through the first week of November and I don’t know about you, but it has been a busy one. I hope today’s post allows you to slow down and catch your breath before it’s back to the hustle and bustle of life. 

I’ve been trying to slow down more in life and appreciate the simple and little things every day. I’ve also tried to incorporate the concept or idea of romanticizing my life. 

Now what does this mean to me? I interpret as appreciating the simple and mundane everyday moments and making them feel special. Romanticizing your life can be lighting a candle when you get ready in the morning, or using linen napkins at dinner instead of paper napkins, it’s pouring your coffee in an actual mug and savoring it, rather than drinking it fast on the go.

To me, romanticizing your life is basking and savoring in the season you are in and being present in the moment. Life can be overwhelming or stressful or even boring at times, but by being present in the moment and celebrating the little things can make a big difference in your mood and life. 

Here’s been a few ways that I have romanticized my life: 

  • I have been waking up earlier and enjoying a slower morning to read and journal and savor my morning routine and not rush through it. I’ve been lighting a candle and curling up in a blanket to enjoying my mornings rather than rushing through them.
  • After I get in a workout, I have been making myself a warm tea or water with lemon and enjoying that while I get ready for the day. The mornings have been getting chillier and I have been enjoying a warm drink to start the day.
  • I always pack my lunch for work and have been using festive napkins or snacks for the season. Rather than a plain white napkin, I have been using fall or Halloween napkins to make things a bit more exciting. 

I’ve been working on setting my phone down when I am watching shows or going out on walks. I used to be on my phone a lot absently scrolling and I’m working on being intentional of when I am on my phone. 

I’ve been more intentional with what I listen to, I would rather listen to my favorite podcast or favorite songs on a playlist than listening to the radio.

Lastly, I have been checking in more with friends and family just because, whether it is sending a thinking of you card in the mail, or a photo of a memory, or even a holiday care package, I have been actively searching for ways to build connection with loved ones. It not only brings me joy, but I hope it puts a smile on their faces too.

These are just a few ways I have romanticized my life, little, free ways that I have slowed down and appreciated the little moments in my life every day. There are so many ways to find the beauty and simplicity in life.

Taking walks in nature has been another way I have reconnected with myself.

What are some ways you have romanticized your life?

I would love to hear from you! Happy Wednesday!

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Let's Look

Let’s Look: Quiet and Prayer Time

Hello all!

Happy Wednesday! This has been a BUSY week, I just wrapped up a big work project, so the fact that my weekend starts tomorrow is huge sigh of relief.

I got to witness my first Total Solar Eclipse which was an incredible experience.

Such a cool moment

It’s the second Wednesday of the month which means it’s time for another Let’s Look as I link up with with Shay and Erika.

In January, we talked about How We Clean Our Closets.

In February, the topic was Things We Do Every Day

In March, it was all about what’s in our Grocery Carts

This month, we are chatting all about our Quiet and Prayer time.

This is a personal topic for many, and I know everyone has their own faith life and practices. Today, I’m sharing what has worked best for me in my prayer life as an adult and how I have incorporated my relationship with God in my every day life as I have gotten older.

I have gone to church my entire life. I went to Catholic grade school, high school, and college, so I always felt like I had a good relationship with God. As an adult, I wanted to grow more in my faith life and that came in the form of making more time for prayer every day. 

Every morning, I begin my day with a daily prayer/reflection. I like to ease into my day with quiet time before the days gets busy.

I use the app Laudate, which contains daily readings, prayers and reflections. During special seasons in the Catholic church, like Advent and Lent, I spend more time in my prayer by reading other devotionals I get through my Church, they typically contain a reading and reflection and prayer.

 This was the one I was using for this Lenten season at the end of the day before bed.

After some prayer and intention time, I spend time journaling about my day, what happened, what was good or bad, what’s stressing me out and what’s bringing me joy. I really like to take the time for reflection before the day begins, plus it gets all my thoughts out on paper and out of my mind. This takes about ten to fifteen minutes depending on how much I need to unpack, haha! Once my quiet time in the morning is done, it’s off to start the day.

At the end of the day, I have been working to unwind and have a few minutes of quiet time before getting ready for bed. I started the year by reading Near in the Night, it’s a companion piece to Sure as the Sunrise by Emily Ley.

It’s 100 daily devotionals and reflections. I made my way through Sure as the Sunrise last year in the mornings and have been making my way through Near in the Night this year. I did take a brief pause for Lent, but now, I’m back into it. I like the different devotionals and prompts that Ley writes and I like the room for daily and weekly reflection that she provides. After a little bit of quiet time, it’s time for bed.

Everyone has the own relationship with their faith life, some may choose to go to Church every day, while others may only go once a week. Faith is such a personal choice, and everyone has to decide for themselves what works best for them. I have found that incorporating time in the morning and night to spend time on my faith life is what matters most to me, so I make it a priority every day. There is always room for more time with God, but at this stage in my life this is what works for me.

If you are struggling with a faith life, I hope this encourages you to explore what else is out there for you. 

See you back here on Friday for another edition of Friday Favorites!

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Let's Look

Let’s Look: Things We Do Every Day

Hello all! Happy Wednesday and Happy Valentine’s Day! ! I hope you are having a great day celebrating all things love, whether its with your significant other, best friends, or even celebrating love for yourself. Spreading some love island kindness is so important not just today, but every day. 

Valentine’s Day cookies are always a must!

It’s also the second Wednesday of the month which means it’s time for another Let’s Look. Last month we talked about cleaning our closets.

This month’s prompt is Things We Do Every Day. Obviously there’s things every person does every day (brush their teeth, shower, eat, sleep). I decided to go through my day and take note of the unique things I do (or try to do) every day.

Here’s what I try to do every day:

Journal- I always start the day with some prayer time and journaling. Sometimes I follow prompts, other times, I write what’s on my mind or how I’m feeling.

My journal for 2024

Movement- Whether it’s through a workout, a run, biking, a walk or yoga. I always try to get 30 minutes of movement in. I aim to get it first thing in the morning, so I don’t have to worry about it as the day goes on, but sometimes I don’t get movement in until after the work day.

One of my workouts

Reading– I love to read, so I always try to get in some reading every day, whether it’s a few chapters or pages of whatever book I’m currently reading. Reading is a hobby that I love and try to incorporate every day. I typically read in the morning and at night as a way to start and end my day by relaxing. 

My current read

Wordle– This is a silly one, but I always start my day with the Wordle. It keeps me sharp and it’s always fun to play at the start of my day, plus my friends and I will try to see who can get the word in the least amount of tries.

Word Search– Another way I like to keep my mind sharp is by doing a word search. Most of the time I choose fairly easy ones that I can accomplish in 15 minutes, but it’s a fun hobby that entertains me.

No day is complete without a few minutes doing word searches

News Briefings and Blogs– I have a few blogs that I follow and a few trusted new sources that I always read before the day begins. I always check the top stories of USA Today and I love Katie Couric Media sent to my inbox in the mornings. I always like to be briefed about what’s going on before the day begins.

My most used apps in the morning

Family Time– My family and relationships are so important to me, so I always aim to have a family meal together or catch up after a long day. I also aim to check in with friends once a week to see how my people are doing.

That’s just a little recap of things unique to me that I try to do every day. Most of them I do in the morning before work because I know the days can get busy and crazy, but I always feel better when I have my hobbies or interests out of the way at the start of the day. 

There’s other things I try to do every day (laundry, cleaning, cooking)-but the above list are ones that I make a point to do every day. If I don’t get to something it’s not the end of the world, but I try to incorporate these little things to help set me up for success for the day ahead. 

Tell Me: what things do you try to do every day? Let me know in the comments below! Happy Valentine’s Day! Sending you love on this Wednesday!

Categories
Currently

Currently #35

Hello everyone! It’s the last day of November. I don’t know about you, but I’m already in the Christmas spirit. I’ve already started to decorate and I have my holiday bucket list ready to go, I’ll be sharing that next week.

I’ve really enjoyed November. It’s been a mix of a flurry of activities and slow days at home. With that being said, I’m looking forward to the next month of holiday fun! Let me give you a recap in this month’s currently. 

What I’ve Been Up To: The month started with lots of time outdoors, from walks, to collecting leaves and time indoors with lots of baking. I enjoyed baking brie, peanut butter cookies, banana bread and soup. I can’t wait to start baking Christmas cookies. The month ended with celebrating Thanksgiving and getting ready for Christmas.

Hello fall walks!
This month was filled with lots of baking.
Thanksgiving with my Family.

What I’m Wearing: Nothing too exciting on the clothing front, it’s been colder and we have seen snow, so I have been wearing more long sleeves and layers. I scored a great deal on some jeans at Old Navy. I have been hunting for a pair of straight jeans and found them at Old Navy. If you are looking for a variety of styles and cuts, consider looking at Old Navy.

Layers have been my go-to. Also a look at my new jeans from Old Navy.

What I’m Reading: I’ve been on a roll with good books. I’ve read some mysteries, some thrillers and a handful of love stories. Here are a few of my favorites.

The Last Mrs. Parrish– The Last Mrs. Parrish is a suspenseful book with a touch of mystery and intrigue. It follows the story of a young woman who wants to befriend a wealthy woman to get close to her husband. The first half of the book is told from one point of view until it switches to another character’s perspective, and you see the story through an entirely different lens. This book will make you angry at some of the characters, but you won’t want to put it down at the same time. 

The Younger Wife– The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth follows the story of a heart surgeon who decides to remarry even though his wife is still alive and has dementia. His grown daughters aren’t on board at first, but come around to the idea, that is, until they uncover some secrets about their parents. From the father and mother, to the young bride to be, and the grown daughters, it turns out, everyone is keeping secrets. 

One True Loves– This is another Taylor Jenkins Reid book. It follows the story of a young woman who loves her husband when his flight goes missing, it takes her a while, but she moves on and meets someone else, she’s happy and engaged until her husband is found and returns home. It’s up to her to figure out who her one true love is. This story is about love, loss, growth and finding yourself. I breezed through this book in four days. In fact, I finished the last hundred pages in one sitting. A cute, love story with a twist.

My goal is to just read Christmas books for the next month, I’ll let you know how it goes.

What I’m Watching: I finished watching season 5 of the Crown and LOVED It. I already can’t wait for the final season, but I don’t want it to end. I also have been watching Gilmore Girls in my free time, but I know I’ll be watching lots of Christmas movies soon. 

What I’m Loving: I’ve been loving everything that gets me in the Christmas spirit. Stores are already decked out with holiday displays, Christmas music is playing, snow is falling, these are just a few things that have me excited for next month. 

Fresh snow doesn’t hurt either.
Getting into the holiday spirit.

What Inspires Me: I’ve really been enjoying the quiet time before the busy season. I’ve read a lot of good books, I’ve enjoyed time with friends and lots of cooking and baking.  Leaning into some of my hobbies has centered me when things get busy or hectic.

The beautiful sunset as I was running errands last week.
I’ve also been enjoying lots of baking…here’s some pre Pumpkin pie mixture.

What I Accomplished: Despite the cold weather, I still managed to get in some outdoors walks when I could. I know I will have to rely on my indoor activities like yoga or more time at the gym, since I won’t be able to get out as much in colder temperatures.

My sweet pup after a morning walk.

Goals from Last Month: I really enjoyed slowing down and celebrating Thanksgiving with my family and some traditions. I also made my list of who I need to buy for Christmas, which makes me feel ahead of the game.

Enjoying some snacks with family.

Goals for this Month: I can’t wait to enjoy all things holiday and Christmas. My brothers will be home from college and I can’t wait to spend some family time with everyone. I also want to get a lot of my buying done early, so I’m not rushing around at the end when Christmas is here.

Hello holiday cheer!

That’s a look into life recently.  A mixture of work, hobbies, family time, traditions, and holiday cheer! I can’t wait to see what December brings.