Tag: routine

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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #111

Hello All! Happy Friday! I hope you had a great week as we make our way through September and transition from one season to the next. Life is starting to calm down and my fall routine is finally taking shape. Although the fall season is only a few weeks away, the weather is still gorgeous and I’m trying to soak up as much of it as I can. 

Beautiful days as we transition from summer to fall

Today, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea  for another weekly roundup of Friday Favorites. Here’s some things I have been loving this week.

Emily in Paris Season Four Part Two– The second half of Emily in Paris dropped yesterday. Depending on when you are reading this, chances are I have already started it. I really enjoyed the first half of the season and the second half takes Emily to ROME! I was giddy when I saw the trailer and Emily was at so many iconic spots I had just visited myself. I do have to say, after watching the trailer, I was a little jealous that Emily didn’t have to deal with any tourists. Haha! I’m looking forward to the season and where it takes Emily. 

Outer Banks Season Four Trailer– Are you a fan of Outer Banks? I started the series during Covid and have stuck with it since. Even though it is more on the tween and teen side of things when it comes to the plot lines, I enjoy the mystery behind the storylines and the hunt for the treasure. I felt like last season really wrapped things up nicely and was surprised when it got renewed. The trailer looks good and I’m excited to see what adventures are in store for the group.

Atomic Habits– I have heard about this book, Atomic Habits for ages and I have had it on hold at the library for weeks. When it was my turn to check it out, I couldn’t wait to start reading. 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. Whether you are looking to create better habits or work on your current ones, I would highly recommend this book. 

New Room Scent and Plug-In– My current wallflower ran out, so it was time for an upgrade. I decided to go with one of the scents from the Bridgerton collection from Bath and Body Works. The scent I chose was Queen Charlotte’s Tea. The best way to describe it is a floral scent that’s very feminine, but not too strong or overpowering. This would be a great scent to use in a bedroom or bathroom, but not a living, room, family room or kitchen where a lot of people could be in and out and may not care for the scent. I also swapped out my plug-in with a bee from the Bridgerton collection too! Too cute, just a small change for the upcoming season. 

The Perfect Couple– I have been on an Elin Hilderbrand kick lately. Without planning it, I’m currently reading one of her books, listening to different one in an audiobook, and watching the third as a series. Plus, I listen to her podcast, Books, Beach and Beyond…can you say I’m hooked?!  Reviews on those will be coming soon, but I have been loving the Netflix series, The Perfect Couple, based on her book. I read the book when it came out and couldn’t wait to watch the series when it was announced. I really think the series was fairly close to the book. It was interesting to see how characters were portrayed. I LOVED the setting and costumes and appreciated seeing the plot unfold on the big screen. I binged my way through the series and was sad when it ended. I love when movies or series stay true to the books.

There you have it, a fun roundup of favorites from this past week, some books, life hacks, and shows I’m loving! Tell me, what’s bringing you joy this week? Let me know in the comments below! Happy Friday! Enjoy the weekend!

Categories
Fabulous living

Embracing Change

Hello all! 

Happy Wednesday! I hope you are all enjoying June and the summer season. I hope your days are filled with time by the pool, stopping and smelling the roses and late nights by the fire. That all sounds dreamy, but in reality, you may have children home from school with no schedule, or you may be working full time and life looks the same as it does in December.

I love the summer season and try to sneak in pockets for relaxing or doing something fun even in the midst of work and life and my daily routine.

Beautiful days on the water

Whether it’s a walk after work, dinner outside, or reading by the pool on a day off, I have been trying my best to find ways to enjoy the summer season when I can and break up my routine. 

Speaking of routines, that’s what today’s post is all about being flexible and adapting to change.

Last week, we talked about summer schedules and routines and rhythms. As you may have noticed, I love a good routine, but I need to get better at adapting and getting used to change, especially when my schedule gets thrown off. So today we are talking about change on a broader scale.

Change, we either embrace or we fear it, in some cases we may even try to deny it. (Hello, that’s me sometimes!)

I’ve never been one who adapts easily to change. I’m as Type A as they come, I crave a schedule, routine, and I’m very regimented. I admit to getting thrown of when my routine gets thrown off or I don’t accomplish everything I want to in a day or on my to-do list. I know no one is putting the pressure on me and I create the pressure, but I don’t always do well with leaving things not completed.

Although being organized and regimented are all good qualities to have, they have held me back from being flexible and sometimes adaptable to life and being spontaneous to activities and adventures. I may get stressed about being out late or not feeling a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. For the last several years, I have kept putting “be flexible” on my new year’s resolutions or goals, and often times I try to be more flexible, but I slip back into old habits of being regimented.

This past year has brought some changes to my life, and more are on the way. They are all good things, but they are changes, nonetheless. I decided this year to embrace the change rather than fear it. It was a daunting goal and one I’m still trying to navigate. I have been listening to The Lazy Genius Podcast by Kendra Adachi and one of her pillars is starting small. I have really been working on starting small when it comes to decision making or when I get overwhelmed with change. Rather than try to solve all my problems, I focus on what I can control and make decisions about.

I have been trying to look at change as an exciting time, rather than a stressful time. I am looking at the positives of a new routine or seeing how I can grow as a person through change. Plus, so often we see the best changes in ourselves when we have to go through the uncomfortable moments in life. 

As practical way that I have been coping with change is by journaling. In addition to my daily journals, which I keep to look back on, I have been doing a lot of brain dumps. These aren’t your typical brain dumps where you write down everything you may have to do or want to accomplish, instead, I have been writing down all my stressors, fears, anxieties, and worries and getting them out of my mind. This helps a lot at night when my mind is racing. I write down every good or bad thing that’s on my mind and have found that even if I don’t solve anything, it helps to have it out of my mind and on paper. I often will throw out the paper, but it helps put things in perspective of what’s important and what things I can control.

Change is scary, stressful, overwhelming, but it can also be exciting and full of new beginnings. 

In this season of life, I’m choosing to embrace change and not fear it, I know it won’t be easy, but I am ready for the challenge and I’m excited to see how I grow along the way.

Categories
Let's Look

Let’s Look: Summer Schedules

Hello All!

Happy Wednesday! If you are in summer mode, I hope you are embracing the summer season and everything that comes with it. If your life is still normal and not much has changed except for the weather, I hope you are able to enjoy the warm temperatures in the midst of your everyday happenings.

Taking time slow down in the summer months.

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.This has been such a fun link up for me as I love sharing bits and pieces of my life and I love learning from others too.

Here’s a look at some of the topics we have discussed so far this year:

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

In April, we chatted about our Quiet and Prayer Time.

In May, we talked about Summer Staples.

Today’s topic is all about our summer schedules.

My summer schedule doesn’t look too much different compared to my schedule throughout the year. Because I work full-time and year-round, how I structure my day doesn’t change no matter the season. I work the same days and hours and things stay pretty status quo. However, I do try to keep my schedule more open in the summer months to allow for more flexibility with events and plans. I have siblings who are home from school and like to spend time with them when I’m not working. I also like to build in time for day trips, family vacations, and time to do things before or after work. In the other three seasons, I often try to add things to do after work, but in the summer, I like to have as little on my calendar as possible to allow room for spontaneity. If I want to go to a baseball game after work on a Tuesday, I want to be able to do that without having to rearrange schedules or plans.  

In the fall and winter, I tend to schedule more doctor’s appointments or make plans to accomplish different house projects or personal projects on days off. I really like to maximize my time the best I can, but in the summertime, I put the projects on hold to really enjoy the weather and time outside and build in time for loved ones.

I always like to make my summer bucket list which I shared last week, which always gives me ideas of things to do with my boyfriend or friends or family. It also holds me accountable for what I want to make sure I accomplish every week.

Whether you have a strict summer schedule or routine due to children being out of school, or you like to let things go and add more flexibility in your schedule, I highly recommend giving yourself grace and being present. 

A few weeks ago, I got home from work on a Sunday afternoon and rather than rush to get things done like laundry or cleaning, I decided to go for a walk, sit outside and have a slow dinner that wasn’t rushed. The laundry got done after the sun went down and the cleaning was a quick dusting as opposed to a deep dive, however, I was much happier by sitting in the sun as opposed to working indoors. When I think of summer, I like to think of slow afternoons, nights by the grill, and being tired because you spent too much time in the sun. That’s what I’m hoping for this summer. I know not every day will be like that, but if I can squeeze in more calm days as opposed to rushing around and always being in a hurry, I will be happy. 

I know this wasn’t how the prompt was intended, but I took my own spin on it. Tell me: As we gear up for summer, what are your hopes and dreams and how do you want your summer to look and feel? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy June!

Categories
Fabulous living

Mindfulness

Hello all! 

Happy Wednesday! It’s still warm, the sun is shining and technically summer, but it’s September, which means fall is coming. Labor Day is over which means we are making our way into autumn. I’m excited for the new season, but I’m still not ready to say goodbye to summer quite yet.

I mentioned a few weeks ago, that I’ve started to incorporate mindfulness in my daily routine. According to Merriam Webster, mindfulness is “the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of the heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts emotions, or experiences on a moment to  moment basis.” I first heard about mindfulness in college and then learned more about it through work and stories I’ve done. I always found it interesting and these past few weeks I wanted to give it a try myself. 

If you have been following me for a while, you know I love my Fit Bit! One of the features the app has is to track your mindfulness. There’s a number of guided breathing exercises to calm your heart rate and soften your breathing. It took a while to get into a routine of doing it and just about finding time that works in my schedule to do it. What I like about the Fit Bit app is that there are a number of different guided breathing practices, they range from two minutes to 30 minutes. YouTube also has a number of guided practices too. Most of the time, I do my breathing exercises after I journal in the morning or when I am driving to work. I really like to take the time before the day gets underway to just reset and calm the mind before the day gets busy.

On the app, you can monitor your monthly mindfulness and your daily mindfulness

At this point I do my breathing exercises 7 days a week. It only takes a few minutes, and it gets my mind and heart in a good spot before the day gets busy.

Here’s some of the different exercises.

I am a routine person through and through. When I can start my day with journaling, breathing and a workout and reading, I know my day is off to a great start. 

Being more mindful and taking time to reset before the day gets started has been a huge help to lower my stress level especially on busy work days.

What ways do you unwind and relax before or at the end of your day?

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Fabulous living Fun Ways to Organize

Getting into a New Routine

Hey everyone. I hope your week is off to a great start. One of my goals for the new year was to get into a new routine and even though it has taken me some time, I have finally gotten into a good rhythm. 

My new work schedule is Wednesday to Sunday 9:30 – 6:30, so a pretty normal schedule, but my “weekend” falls on Monday and Tuesday. 

It has been different to have actual days off, in college my weekends would be spent working or doing homework, now out of college, there is no more homework, studying or papers to be written. It’s refreshing to not have to worry about running in different directions at all times, I get to focus on my work, being with family, catching up with friends and most importantly, taking care of myself. 

During my first month of work I wanted to make sure I got used to a new job, now that month has passed, I knew it was time to get a good schedule in order. I wanted to get back to working out and hitting the gym, having a day to run errands and get things done, have time to relax, catch up with friends and find some new hobbies. 

During my work week, I get up early, and will start my day off with the gym during week days, head to work for the day, come home, spend time with family, get dinner and get ready for the next day and relax a bit, nothing too exciting.

During my days off, I’m looking to make one day my productive day which would include running errands, getting things done, laundry, planning outfits for the week, doing any shopping or getting appointments done. The other day would be a day more for relaxing, meeting up with friends, relaxing, or doing something fun. Now, will this work every week? No, some weeks my schedule could get changed or things come up and life happens, and I’m okay with that. I really wanted to start getting into good habits as I start my career and I think getting into a good routine is extremely helpful for me. I keep all my to-do lost and things to get done in my Simplified Planner, you can see my post about getting organized here.

Having a good routine in place helps me feel more relaxed and balanced between my home and work life. 

What are some things that you have in your daily routine that helps your life run smoother?

I am also looking for some new hobbies to try besides reading, binge watching the latest shows on streaming services, working out, and this little blog.

I hope you all have a fabulous week and weekend. 

Categories
Fabulous living

Keeping Your Small Space Clean and Organized

Hey guys!

Happy Tuesday!

I hope your week is off to a great start! I can’t believe how fast time is going. I only have a few more weeks left in my LAST spring semester of college! Where has the time gone?? During my time in college, one of my favorite things and one of the biggest ways I have changed is by living on my own and being independent.

During my freshmen year, I had a roommate (my first time sharing a room), and I couldn’t have asked for a better roommate experience. My roomie and I are still best friends.

Remember my sweet friend, Danielle? Yes, we were roommate freshmen year and are still close, if not closer, we see each other multiple times each week. During my first year of college, I got a taste of what it’s like to live with someone new and have your own space, that is not home.

We met during Freshmen Orientation, and have been besties since, we have been through the highs and lows of life together

During my sophomore year, I lived alone, and I gained more independence by having a room to myself and being in control of the space.

In my junior year, not only did I still have my own room, but I got my own bathroom as well. Junior year has been the best year for me for many reasons, but having my own room and bathroom has been the absolute best. 

Today, I am sharing how to keep a small space cleaned and organized. I will probably update this post once I graduate but for now, here are the top things you should have in your space! I’m a girl who works best with a routine, this year I made Friday morning my “house keeping” day, basically I go to the gym, do my wash, change my sheets, clean my room etc. I like to keep it consistent by doing it at the same time every week and it’s fresh for the weekend. Here are my tips for keeping your space clean and things to have in your room.

  • Clorox wipes (It’s no secret, I am a neat freak, so you better believe I always have Clorox wipes to clean my room. I am also a schedule person, so every week I set aside time to clean my bedroom, bathroom and get wash done so I am living in a clean space. It’s amazing how fresh your space can feel when you wipe it down with a Clorox wipe, it gets rid of germs and keeps your space smelling clean.)
Top of my list for making sure your dorm stays clean
  • Pledge wipes (Another major must have. It’s amazing how much dust can collect in a small dorm space or apartment. After I clean off my surfaces with Clorox wipes, I use a pledge wipe or two to get all the remaining dust off. Pledge wipes are also great for cleaning off devices, it’s crazy how much germs and smudges can be found on laptops, tablets, and cell phones.)
I love how these work on multiple surfaces and devices too!
  • Small Bissell vacuum (I got a small Bissell vacuum this past year and it has been a game changer. It is super light weight, easy to store and it makes cleaning go by much faster. It’s amazing how much traffic our rooms get with people in and out, giving your floor a quick clean will make you feel much better in the end.)
Game Changer for this year, it’s amazing how much dirt and dust can be found on the ground
  • Command hooks (Not a cleaning item, I know. But Command hooks are a must in college dorm, although they can get expensive, you don’t want your favorite posters, pictures, and dorm décor falling down. I have command hooks everywhere in my room, they are easy to put on and leave no marks when you take them down.
Any college student can relate to how important these are to a dorm room, decorating and making the space your own has never been so easy!
  • Reusable Containers, Silverware, and Water Bottles (Again, not a cleaning item, but it is so good to use plastic or glass dishware, it helps save the environment from all the trash build up and it saves money. If you invest in a few good water bottles, or dishes and silverware you are saving money from spending it on plastic silverware and cases of water.)
Saving the environment and keeping things classy in college

After living in a college dorm for the past few years, these items have worked best for me and weren’t necessarily on my packing list of things to bring but rather as I have lived on my own, I have realized they were necessary. What items have you found are most helpful when it comes to living on your own? Share them in the comments below! Have a great week ahead!