My October 2018 Goals

October is a big busy month for me and I already feel slightly behind. Hopefully #Blogtober will help keep me on track with my goals this month. 31 Days, 31 Blogposts. I decided to come back to blogging last month and this everyday posting schedule should be great motivation for me!
 
On top of my busy month, I'm a marketing analyst by day and deal with the weekly ads in your local newspapers, therefore we are already preparing for the extended holiday workload. Lots of busy work, long hours, and mental burnout. Self care is definitely going to be key this month.

When I feel overwhelmed I sit down and write everything out. I probably spent too much time today organizing my bullet journal but I honestly feel better and made sure I had plenty of space for everything in my very minimal October weekly spread. Space is key for me!

First Week of October Weekly Bullet Journal Spread

I'm actually glad I took a "Before" picture because this pretty clean bullet journal page is no longer clean & pretty.

 Alright, let's get started on the my goals for October.

Hello October!! TBB - October Fall 2.0 List

Hello October! You are my favorite month and my busiest month before the holiday hustle. Falling leaves, apples, a valid excuse to watch Hocus Pocus everyday this month, cider, donuts, hoodies, and festivals!

Tonight I'm going to "Then She Fell" in Brooklyn, NY with my friend Kristina and I've never been to anything like this before in my life. It's like a Haunted House except Alice in Wonderland inspired.

Then She Fell - Website

"An immersive theater experience combining a hospital ward,
the writings of Lewis Carroll, and only 15 audience members per show."

It should be a nice way to kick off October festivities and go out of September with something cool. 

Therefore today I've decided to join in on the fun at The Blended Blog for a great Fall List of my favorite things.

My Weekend Trip To Saratoga Springs

Me at Braeburn Tavern

Sometimes you have to leave the husband home and drive 2 and a half hours for a friend's Bachelorette weekend! After all the extra hours I've put in at work I needed to kick back, drink fruity drinks out mason jars, get stuck in an inflatable tube, and make some new friends. 

Cheesy sounding, I know, but it's the honest truth. 

The destination picked was Saratoga Springs in upstate New York. I thought it was going to Lake George, but I'm mildly terrified of swimming in a lake so I was kinda happy about the final choice. Saratoga is best known for the horse races but even off season there is a lot of fun things to do! There were shops, wineries, breweries, restaurants, and the architecture of all the buildings is beautiful. It has all the New England prettiness without the 4 hour drive. 

Thursday Thoughts: Ipsy, Disney, Magnolia Table, & The Ultimate Time Hop

Okay, the weekend needs to hurry up! 

~ This weekend I'm going to a bachelorette party mini getaway in upstate New York and there will be wine...oh yes there will be. Wine, fancy dinners, gossip, local town shopping, pool party, and a peek into the nightlife of somewhere new. After the craziness I've had at work these past few weeks I'm so excited to wind down for a 2 days. ~ 

~ Evidently a million things have changed at Walt Disney World since I went in 2002 and I'm not talking about them adding the Frozen ride. I now understand why people still use travel agents. It's quite stressful to set up the fast pass & reservations 30 days in advance. ~ 

~ Also Disney related - There is something called Disney Bounding where you dress up in normal clothes that make you look a version of a Disney character. I think I might have to do this...I'm obsessed with Nightmare Before Christmas. If I can do Sally easily I'm so in! ~ 

Friday Favorites!

This week got overpowered by work. I didn't leave my office until 7pm most nights. I'm really hoping it starts to calm down, but in marketing/advertising my extra job load is unpredictable. It's keeping me busy and not snacking (On par to lose that 5 pounds for my June goal), but I'm exhausted. I'll have to get my groove back!

This week is jam packed with a double event on Saturday. My life runs like this constantly. I'll say yes to something in March then find out 2-3 more things are happening on the same day in May. At least it's all happy things this weekend. =)

Thursday Thoughts: Movies + TV Shows + Books!

Well I blinked Monday morning and now it's Thursday morning. This week went by super fast. Work has been crazy, but it's kind of a good thing because I find myself snacking less at my desk. lol.

I'm a big Book + Movie + TV person. I always have been. I've been very caught up with work and missed a few things I really wanted to see. I can't wait for a few things to finally come out! 

A Wrinkle In Time

I completely missed seeing this in the theater and I had no idea it got released on DVD this week. The marketing campaign for this movie was insane but then it just came and went so fast. I know there were mixed reviews but I still can't wait to see it. I'll watch anything Mindy Kaling and Reese Witherspoon do. Oh and we mustn't forget Chris Pine. He's my of my favorite Hollywood "Chris". 

I never read the book while I was in school so I'm going in fresh and new! I might check it out On Demand first before I buy it!

Monday Diet Check: 5 Healthy Food Swaps!

Goals don't accomplish themselves. Sometimes, they take lots of hard work and doing what you don't want to do. But the good outweighs the bad and the end result will be amazing. So I'm told.

I promised myself this June I will lose and keep off 5 pounds. From my last Health Check post 2 weeks ago - Find it Here - I have a lot riding on getting my health in check. I honestly feel like I've lost/gained/lost/gained the same 15 pounds for years and it's steadily worsened. I have to do this. There is no turning back.

I already have learned something about myself right off the bat. Telling me to eat healthy isn't enough. I'm much better at Eat This Not That mentality. I'm doing very well with finding out exactly what products to eat and not to eat. The not to eat's are super easy but the good to eat is a struggle on it's own. It's a process and I've nailed down some great go-to's already.

Friday Favorites...June Goals!

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Why are the shortest weeks the craziest? Seriously, it's always the way! 

This short week at least ends in a brand new month with brand new opportunities! I love the start of a new month. It's a fresh start and 31 days to get it right this time. June is my favorite month, beginning the whirlwind of summer and literally something planned for every single weekend. I'm going to be in serious need of a relaxing vacation after this one! 

But first I'm going to set some goals I hope to achieve or at least chisel at this month. 

In May, I successfully accomplished Two Large Goals for me:  

Finish My First Novel -> Mission Accomplished! 

Restart my Blog -> Mission Accomplished!

These two accomplishments will definitely be setting the stage for my June Goals! 

Life Lately...

Craig and Me aka Toots & Dill - Memorial Day Weekend - 2018

~ I can't believe Craig and I met eight years ago. It seems like yesterday we got married and the day before that we moved in together and in a blink of an eye we were together. I'm so happy I waved at a friend and Craig saw me instead. ~

~ I've been breast fibroid free for 8 years! It's so important to do self breast examinations and to say something to your doctor if you feel something off! ~

Friday Favorites For Memorial Day Weekend!

Here we are again with another Friday Favorites!

 I think these are my favorite type of blogposts. They're fresh, new, & fun to put together. All week I think about little things I'm doing or using so I can share them all with you! It's something I really look forward to each week.

This week was a blur. A flash of working late, cleaning, writing, and sleep. So boring. lol. I've been very impatiently waiting for this 3 and half day Memorial Day Weekend for far too long. I'm off work starting tomorrow at 1pm and I'm going to be running out the door before anyone can stop me. Not this time, I desperately need some time off. 

But first...This week's Friday Favorites:

Ten Exciting Things I'm Looking Forward To Do!

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When you get home from work at 8:30pm, after a long 12 hour work day, you need to look to the bright amazing things you have planned because damn today sucked! I barely got up at all. This is a short work week for me so I have to cram in all the tasks I would usually take my time on. Once I get it all done I can play and relax for a glorious 3 and a half days. I hope tomorrow goes by fast!

Now on to the fun stuff! The months of June, July & August are going to be crazy busy and I'm going to love every minute of it!! =)

Stolen Moments Sunday

 This weekend was a quiet one but there was still a few cool things that happened.

~ A lot of times my Sundays revolve around family. I spend it catching up with my parents and visiting my grandmother - my mother's mother - at the nursing home. My grandmother suffers from dementia but somehow when I say "Hi Grandma!" she perks up and smiles. Somewhere in her subconscious she knows it's me. It's always my favorite stolen moment just between her and me.

Friday Favorites!

My first week back and I'm already so happy I started to blog again. I really missed it. There is so many great exciting parts to blogging and I'm only scratching the surface.

I always struggled with the balance of work, blogging, social life, tiredness, and writing. There's so much pressure to post every day, like every blog post, read this and that. This time I'm going to take it slow and enjoy the process without driving myself crazy on stats and numbers. If I don't post everyday, it's okay. If I can't think of the latest and greatest and need another day to process my thoughts, it's okay. This time around it's for me and I'm so grateful all the other amazing bloggers motivate me so much!

 Here are some of my favorite things from the week...

Saturday Musings and Snow??

My favorite part of my mantel

~ Like most the eastern U.S. we got snow today on April 9th. Yup, so happy I did not got married this year, but last year when the weather was more normal March/April...not like November/December. Ha! ~

Weekend Shopping: My Successful Day Shopping at Torrid!

Fashion for me is an uphill battle I've tried to win for years. I'm a plus size girl who has been forever stuck in the middle of two sizes, longing for Stacey & Clinton from What not to Wear to save me one day, and it's tough road to find clothes in stores that fit me in the right places.

But somehow in my 30 years I have found a middle ground - kind of a stalemate - where I am comfortable in my clothes and not pulling at my garments every 10 minutes because they are sticking to me inappropriately. 

My favorite stores to shop for clothes are Torrid, Dress Barn, Kohls (Def. frenemies though), Fashion to Figure, Target and Forever 21 (another frenemy). With the exception of my two frenemies I can always find something that makes me smile and makes me feel pretty in the other stores. Even though I might have to try on a lot of styles and sizes the small victories are very refreshing!!