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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!

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Fabulous living

What I’m Thankful For

Hello everyone! Happy Wednesday! If you are able to enjoy some time off around the Thanksgiving holiday. I hope the next few days are filled with delicious food, time with family or loved ones, making core memories and a time to rejuvenate.

After Thanksgiving, I know Christmas will be on the minds of many, if it isn’t already. Before Thanksgiving, I always like to take some extra time to reflect on my blessings and what I’m thankful for.

I have so many things to be grateful for this year. I am so lucky to have a loving and supportive family with me. I love that I am able to work in my hometown and I’m able to see my family every day. There’s no greater joy than coming home and enjoying a home cooked meal and talking about our day’s. This year we have traveled to new places and visited old ones. One of the best things about this year was our time together from family dinners, to day trips and just conversations and laughs together. There’s nothing more special than time spent with family. I’m also grateful to my furbabies too!

A snapshot from our time spent at the beach this summer.
My favorite puppies!

I’m grateful for my boyfriend brings out the best in me every day. He who pushes me to work my hardest and supports me in everything I do. From my job to my blog, he’s an incredible supporter. We have created so many wonderful memories from walks to adventures, trying new recipes and long drives. Our time together is one of the things I treasure most of all.

One of the many places we have got walking.

I’m so lucky to have wonderful friends in my life. From friends from preschool, to high school friends and one from college. I’m grateful that I have stayed in touch and continued to create memories with. From meeting halfway for dinners, to monthly facetime dates, walks and coffee hangs. As an adult, life can get busy so I try to make a point to put friendships first by checking in on friends when they have busy weeks, or making a suggestion for a favorite book or movie. I always love when I have friends who check in on me and support me and lift me up when I need an extra hand.

I’m grateful for a job that I love. I enjoy learning new things every day and being challenged and growing every day. I love being able to work and live in my hometown and make an impact every day.

A glimpse into some of the places my job takes me.

After illness being a topic of conversation for the past few years, I am so grateful for my good health, my family’s health and my friend’s health. Waking up every day and being healthy is something I don’t take for granted. Life can get busy and our priorities can shift but reminding ourselves what’s important is something we need to remind ourselves more.

Savoring the little moments in life, like fall drives.

I’m thankful for all the challenging moments in life, for the long or stressful moments because it makes me stronger and makes me a better person. I know I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for the growing pains or the rollercoaster moments. All those little things got me to where I am today.

I am grateful for all the things that bring me joy! From curling up with a good book, to baking food for ones that I love, and enjoying heartfelt conversations with family and friends. I’m grateful for how I feel when I finish a hard workout or a long walk. I’m grateful for the satisfaction I feel when I prepare a meal or dessert for my family. I’m grateful for the experience of getting lost in a book or a movie. I’m grateful for resting after a productive day. I’m thankful for seeing the sunrise every morning and watching it set. 

Finding hobbies like cooking and baking bring me so much joy!

Life is so precious and it’s made up so many little moments. At the end of the day, that’s what I’m most grateful for, all the moments, big and small. 

Feeling extra grateful this year!

Over the next few days, I hope you take the time to reflect on what you are most grateful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Fabulous living

2021 Resolution Recap and Year in Review

Hey guys! Happy Wednesday! Merry Christmas! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with family and loved ones. I always love the time between Christmas and New Year’s, whether you are off for a break or working, it’s always a nice time to relax, catch your breath and take some extra time to reflect on the year. 

I wanted to take some time to reflect on the past year and my resolutions. For a quick recap, you can read my post here about my 2021 Resolutions. My word of the year was intentional. I wanted to be more intentional with my time with friends and family and more intentional with the things I put time and energy in. I wrote it on a post-it note in my planner and moved it from month to month as a reminder for myself. Overall, I think I did pretty well with focusing on family and friends when I spent time with them. I also prioritized what things I did during my free time too.

My first of three resolutions for this year was to be more intentional with family and friends. I found myself doing a lot of multi-tasking and wanted to be more focused on one thing at a time. I did well with spending time with family and a lot of this had to do with my new work schedule. I now get to spend a lot more time with family and do my best to put the phone down and be present, but there’s always room for improvement. 

My second resolution was less screen time. I did well by setting up times on my phone to have my phone shut off to focus on work or housework. But there were times that I was tired by the end of the day and just aimlessly scrolled, not the best use of time, but sometimes you need a brain break. That will continue to be something I work on in the new year. 

My third resolution was to be more consistent with friends. I definitely made more time for friends by setting up times to do things with friends. The pandemic put a halt to a lot of social activities so by really setting aside time for friends, I was able to maintain my friendships I hold dear to my heart. For example, I started the year out with my virtual book club with my high school friends, Maddie and Ryan. I also set up time for monthly facetime dates with friends (more on that on a post in the new year).

Stay tuned for my goals for 2022 next week!

Now, for a quick year in review. I had a lot of high hopes for 2021 and a lot of them came to fruition. 

I was able to spend lots of time with friends, either in person or via facetime or zoom.

Seeing my best friend Danielle was a highlight of the year.

I also got in a lots of day trips to new places for hiking and walking, from State Parks, to National Parks, new trails and old spots.

Going on walks makes the winter more manageable.
Fall weeks are good for the soul.

I also tried new things like ice skating and have loved it. I went three times in the past three weeks. 

Skating on the bay was such a fun experience.
Skating in Buffalo.

I got to travel with my family and get some great one on one time with loved ones.

Family time with my brothers on vacation.

I got a chance to stand by one of my best friend’s side as she got married.

Getting wedding ready!

I got lots of fall walks in and got to celebrate the start of the holiday season.

Apple picking was one of the fall walks and adventures I embarked on.

The best part of the year was getting my Covid-19 vaccine.

Work has been busy this year, but I’m so lucky with all the opportunties I’ve been given and all the things I’ve learned along the way.

Covering different stories every day makes my job so fulfilling.

I’m so lucky to have a loving family and supportive friends along for the ride too.

What a year 2021 was….2022…let’s do this!

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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!

Categories
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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Currently

Currently #2

Another month is winding down which means it’s time for another currently, update. For those, just joining, once a month, I have a post about what I’m currently up to, from what I’m loving, what I’m looking forward and what’s new. I will have the same questions from month to month but besides that I will have a few new questions and will recap some old ones too. To see last month’s post, you can click here. Now, let’s see what’s new in February. 

What I’m up to: I finally am into a good routine and schedule with work. When I’m at work, all my attention and mindset is related to work, but on my days off, it’s so nice to not have to worry about work or even school anymore. With that being said, I’m still on the look for more hobbies or things to get me occupied on my days off. 

What I’m wearing: Dare I say, spring is on its way?! Although, it’s still cold, we have had a mild winter so far, I’ve been mixing up my outfits for work. Whenever, I’m planning out my clothes for the week, I always keep in mind, wearing something that is comfortable, practical and professional. Every day is different for me, therefore, being flexible with my outfit choice is key. 

What I’m reading: I’m still reading the series, “The Walk” and I’m halfway through, be on the lookout for the full recap coming in March. It’s taken me a while but I’m making my way through it. 

What I’m Watching: I just finished season 3 of The Crown and it was so good. I can’t wait until the next season comes out. Also, the new season of Outlander is finally out. It’s been over a year since it aired and I’m so happy that it’s back and better than ever. I also started watching Evil on CBS, it’s definitely dark but it keeps you on the edge of your seat. 

What I’m Loving: I’m really loving my life right now. Yes, work can get stressful but I know it’s what I’m meant to do and I love every day. Plus, coming home to my family and dogs every day and meeting new people from work and making new friends is great too. 

What Inspires Me: I saw this quote the other day and I loved it. It really shows how incredible life is, there may be good and bad moments, but they all contribute to who we are and our stories. I loved the quote so much that I made it the background on my phone. 

What I accomplished: I’m so happy with my new routine that I have gotten in place, I finally have a good work and life balance that I have been looking for. I’m making sure I have time for friends, family, work, and myself.  

Goals Accomplished from Last Month: I finally got back into a good gym routine. I’m back at the gym 5 days a week, during my work week and days off. I feel better when I am working out and I’ve made some changes with my workout routine which I have been seeing better results. 

Goals for the New Month: I’m going to be seeing some of my college friends next week and I couldn’t be happier. Then I have more plans to see friends from college later this month. I keep in touch with some of my close friends in college daily, whether it’s through facetime or texting or phone calls, but it will be so good to see some of my best friends in person. I can’t wait! 

That’s a look into my life right now. Lots of work, some family time, a few visits with friends but overall, lots of happiness. 

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Fabulous living

2020 Resolutions

Hey everyone! Happy hump day, or for me it’s my Monday. With my new job, my schedule is Wednesday-Sunday. So, my weekend is Monday and Tuesday. 

Today, I wanted to dive into New Year’s Resolutions. You can see my goals from last year here.The three things I wanted to accomplish was be more positive, don’t sweat the small stuff, and be more social. Looking back, I can say that I accomplished all those things, with 2019 being my last year in school, I really tried to make the most out of it and being present. When times got tough, I made sure my mentality stayed the same and I stayed positive and realized everything happens for a reason. This also pushed me to not get stressed with the little things in life and instead, focus on the grand scheme of things. Lastly, I made sure I made the most of my time in college by being social. I am still going to make this a priority as I work by making sure I make my friendships a priority in this new season of life. 

Now, onto 2020 resolutions. I have four things that I want to focus on this year. 

-Less Screen Time. I know this will be an easy one since I started working full time. When I am at work, I focus solely on work and when I am at home, I want to work on being present and not being distracted on my phone. I want 2020 to be a year when I put an emphasis on quality relationships and not be distracted by technology. 

-Lose Weight. In 2020, I want to put my health first and that means eating better and changing up my workouts. I want to feel my best in this new season of life. I did well in college about being healthy when it comes to my lifestyle and I want to continue that in this year

-Save Money. This goes along with my new season of life. Now, that I have a big girl job, I want to start being smart with my money. I want to make sure I am saving money and not spending it on frivolous things, for example, instead of stopping for a bagel on the way to work, take the time to make something for myself before I head out the door. It’s small actions like that which can make a big difference. 

-Establish a new schedule.Finally, the biggest goal for the new year. Get into a new routine, working life is different than college life and even though it’s been an adjustment, I am loving it. But, there is still work that needs done. I want to get into a new routine, so I am using my time wisely when I am working, at home or having days off. 

I am so excited for what 2020 has in store for me. I feel really good about where I am in life and what I’m doing. I can’t wait to learn and love this year not only about myself but also about others around me. 

What are some of your resolutions for the new year?