Recurring Series

Week in the Life: Tuesday, November 18

morning // Another early morning start for me! I wake up around 5:15, get dressed, take Dutch on a walk, and then walk over to the apartment gym. I do a quick, 30-minute interval workout on the stationary bike while watching an episode of Friday Night Lights. Afterward, I shower and get ready for work. My morning at work flies by! I do some editing for pages I need to send out for client approval by the end of today, and then sit in on a meeting to take notes. Afterward, my brain is a bit fried so I eat some raspberries while catching up on blogs. (Random side note: raspberries? First time I tried them was a few months ago! Now they are one of my favorite fruits!) The rest of my morning is spent editing.

afternoon // I stop for lunch around 12:30 (Santa Fe Chicken!) and read through the Serial Reddit forum while eating. (I’m obsessed, but have to temper myself with reading because I could probably spend hours on there!) The afternoon flies by faster than my morning! Lots and lots and lots of editing because I have tons of deadlines today. At two, I take a break from the editing to meet with one of our account managers to discuss a keyword plan that needs to be done soon. Around three, I take a break to eat some chocolates and drink some hot chocolate (that I sweetened with a pump of pumpkin spice creamer – guys, it’s life-changing.) The rest of my day is spent furiously editing to meet my deadlines. But I do and then it’s 5:30 and I’m headed home!

night // I take a quick pit stop at Publix before going home to pick up a few supplies (more raspberries – they’re on sale!, peanut butter cookie dough, and Hershey kisses). Then, I get home (and find a fun present on my doorstep!), take Dutch on a walk, and make dinner (spaghetti night!) I watch last night’s episode of The Voice while eating dinner and start writing this post. Then, I have to make cookies! We’re having our Thanksgiving potluck at work tomorrow and I signed up for peanut butter blossoms. I make cookies, activate and play with my new fitness tracker (and yes, you may notice it’s a Weight Watchers product – I rejoined last week!), and watch The Voice results show. Then, I clean up, do my nightly routine, and it’s lights out by 11:00.

Categories: Recurring Series

Week in the Life: Monday, November 17

Today, I’m starting a fun challenge: Week in the Life! That means I’ll be attempting seven days of blogging in a row. OY! Let’s see if I can manage it. Ha. I heard about the challenge from a few bloggers who participated, but it seemed more like a scrapbooking exercise than anything else. Then, Kelly did it on her blog last week and, I figure, if a working mother with a full-time (teaching!) job can do it, I certainly can. Sure, my life may not seem very fascinating to other people. I lead a quiet, low-key life. But, you know, why should I let that stop me from documenting it? It’s still my life and I quite enjoy it and I think it’ll be interesting to look back on this. I’ve always enjoyed writing (and reading!) “Day in the Life” posts, so this will be a fun journey, I think. I hope you guys enjoy – here’s what Monday looked like in my world:

morning // My alarm goes off at 5am and I slowly get up, get dressed, take Dutch on a short walk, and then go for a short run. (Well, more of a walk. I’m in week one of Couch to 5K, my 9,584th time through this program, and it’s a lot of walking right now.) I get ready for work, pack my lunch, make my breakfast shake, and then commute to work, all while listening to a Book Riot podcast. At work, I get coffee, chit-chat with coworkers, and then get my day started. I answer emails, transcribe meeting notes, and then start working on a keyword plan. (120 keywords to source. Yikes!) A little after 10, I get hungry and that’s when I realize I left my lunch in my car! Chaos! I run down to the parking garage to retrieve it, then make a mid-morning snack of raspberries and a granola bar.

afternoon // I stop for lunch a little after noon. (Santa Fe Chicken!) I eat lunch while catching up on blogs. My afternoon seems to fly by. I finish up the keyword plan and then edit and send off monthly content to one of my clients. And, before you think I was 100% productive, I got majorly sidetracked by funny conversations with coworkers and then working on an email for my mom about our Savannah trip. Before I know it, it’s 5:30 and time to go home! We had major thunderstorms roll through in the afternoon, and it’s almost pitch black outside when I leave. Weird! I commute home while listening to Christmas music.

night // I arrive home, take Dutch on a short walk (it’s still raining and he’s not a fan!), and then make dinner. (Another Skinnytaste recipe – baked chicken nuggets.) I watch an episode of Hell’s Kitchen (this season is so meh! I don’t even have a favorite chef I want to win.) and then an episode of Brooklyn 99. After that, I clean up, take a bubble bath, do my nightly routine (brush teeth, wash face), and then snuggle in bed with Dutch and my book. A few minutes of reading and then lights out by 9:30!

Categories: Recurring Series

Five for Friday (v. 38)

1) I started listening to Christmas music this week. I’ve also been lighting the above candle since this weekend. Go ahead, judge me. I don’t really care. I felt like listening to Christmas music, so I am. I’ve never listened to Christmas music this early in the season, but it just felt right. And who says Christmas music should only be played in December? Embracing Christmas this early doesn’t mean I’m overlooking Thanksgiving… it just means I’m extending the holiday season. Right? Right. And, hey, at least I don’t have my Christmas tree up! I’m not that bad.

2) I take back everything I said about Scandal in last week’s Five for Friday post. I actually waited until yesterday to watch last week’s episode and then I had to immediately watch this week’s episode. Hoooooly crap. After a lackluster start to the season, it has picked up in a crazy fashion. The ending to last night’s episode was just… whoa. How are they going to top it for the winter finale? HOW?! Gah. This show!

3) My Savannah trip is coming up quickly! With being busy at work and dealing with other life happenings, I haven’t had time to even anticipate it! I leave in two weeks and have done absolutely zero to plan for it. Well, I did book the hotel so there’s that. Thankfully, the oh-so-lovely Jess sent me an email with a huge list of restaurants and things to do that she used when she planned her Savannah trip last year. I’m going to do some planning this weekend, which will hopefully ramp up my anticipation levels, too!

4) I think I might try doing Week in the Life next week! I really liked following along with the other bloggers who participated in this project. Sure, my life isn’t incredibly interesting on a daily basis, but it’s my life and I think it’ll be fun to document what goes on! I do Day in the Life posts every once in a while, but Week in a Life will be a whole ‘nother beast. Should be fun!

5) This weekend, Dutch is running his annual “Running of the Wieners” race! This will be his third year running. He’s in the Senior Sausage division (other fun names for the divisions include Baby Brats and Little Links!). He’s never won in his heat, but he came very close his first year and just got totally confused his second year. Third time’s the charm, maybe? I’m just excited to be surrounded by dachshunds for a few hours!

Are you in the Christmas spirit yet?

Categories: Recurring Series

Five For Friday (v. 37)

1) I had a dream this week that I was diagnosed with a disease that meant I had to get both my legs amputated. It was one of those dreams where I kept waking up, but I was still “in” the dream. Ever have those? So disconcerting. Moral of the story – let’s not take our legs for granted. Legs are awesome! Legs give us mobility! Yay for legs!

2) I’m 310 days into Project 365, which means I only have 55 days left to go! Confession? I will be so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so happy when this project is over. So, so, so, so, so happy. Taking a picture every day may not seem like a lot of work, but it is! There are days when nothing interesting happens, at least nothing that necessitates a picture. And since I’m starting to feel less and less inclined to share my life on social media, this project is sometimes a headache. I’m going to see it through until completion, but I don’t see myself doing the project again.

3) I think I might sign up for N Her Shoes’ Holiday Shred. I’ve heard mixed reviews of her programs, which is why I haven’t ever tried it out yet, plus she’s more expensive than other online boot camps I’ve done. (I think Best Body Bootcamp was $20-$30 for 8 weeks; this one is $40 for 6 weeks.) But, I figure, I easily spend that on trips to Starbucks or eating out on the weekends. I might as well spend that $40 doing something good for me! Plus, I need all the motivation I can get to eat healthily and stay active during the holiday season.

4) I haven’t been super impressed by Scandal this season. I haven’t watched last night’s episode yet, but I do not enjoy where the storyline is going, based on the previous week’s episode. I’m tired of whiny Fitz, sad for Jake, and Olivia just seems… off? Disconnected? Not the Olivia I know and love. Shonda Rhimes’ shows always seem to have a moment where they jump the shark (how is Grey’s Anatomy still on the air?!), and I just hope this show can get its act together soon.

5) I honestly have zero weekend plans. Normally, that makes me happy, but I’m feeling the itch to get out and do something fun. Maybe it’s time to look over my Tampa Bay Project list and find something fun to do!

Categories: Recurring Series

TGIF (v. 7)

I found the above photo yesterday morning when I was scrolling through an old photo album on Facebook. It made me laugh! For those that don’t know, in 2009, my mom and I adopted Dutch from my great-aunt who could no longer keep him. (He was snapping at her grandkids too often.) My first-ever dog, Minnie, had died six months prior and I was ready for a new pup. Dachshund was my preferred breed, but I was trying to find a dog from the SPCA, rather than going to a breeder.

So getting Dutch was like all of my prayers being answered! He was exactly the breed I wanted and I would still be fulfilling my goals to adopt. When we got him, he was almost seven, and I remember a family member talking to us about how spoiled he was and that my great-aunt had treated him more like a human than a pet.

Umm. Well. I’m not sure we’ve helped matters any. Ha! He’s definitely still spoiled. He probably does think he’s a human. And I honestly would not have it any other way! Dutch has brought such intense joy and happiness to my life. I cannot imagine my life without him. Adopting him was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Pets are so much more than just pets. They are our lives. They are our family. They give love unconditionally and abundantly. They know nothing but that YOU are their favorite person. It’s the least I can do to lavish love and attention on this pup since he gives me so much more in return.

The high of my week was finding out I’m having another nephew! Okay, okay, I was hoping for a niece, but another boy will be fun! My nephew really wanted a sister, so he was a bit disappointed, too, but I am sure he will love having a brother! I’m just super excited to meet this wee one, and see how different (or not different?) he will be from Jovy!

The low of my week was having my work-from-home day canceled. Hopefully, I can reschedule for next week. I had planned my WFH day for yesterday and got an email right as I was shutting down my computer at the end of the day, requesting a meeting for the following day. Bummer! I was looking forward to yoga pants, sleeping in, and snuggling with Dutch!

A podcast episode I loved was Dax Shepard on Nerdist. I’ve loved Dax Shepard for a long time and I love his character Crosby on Parenthood (probably my favorite character!). I was so excited when I saw this episode pop up on my podcast feed. And it was such a great episode. It was nearly an hour and a half, but I think I could have listened to Dax and the host talk for hours and hours. They covered so many topics, from getting sober to how social media has changed how we view public figures. Ah! It was so good!

A blog post I loved was Stop Sleeping with Liars by the oh-so-fabulous Hannah Brencher. Oh, this was so exactly what I needed to read. I want to wallpaper my bedroom walls with her words.

“Stop crawling into bed at night, pulling the covers over your body, and letting liars hiss inside your ear: you’re unworthy. You’re not good enough. You’re falling short. You’re a burden. You’re alone.

These liars take up room. They snicker and grow when you give them credit. They hold tight to your ankles. They make you feel like less: less of a lover. Less of a mover. Less of a shaker. Less of a person. Please– for the love of lovelier things– do not fling away your life and feed it to the liars in your head that tell you you don’t add up.

You need to stop holding yourself back. The pity party must cease and you must de-invite the little liars to your darkest parts. You need to stop thinking you have never deserved good things for your life.“

The best money I spent was $24 on a pedicure on Saturday. Oh, it was so, so, so needed and felt so, so, so good. I can’t help it – pedicures have to go into the monthly budget!

My plans this weekend include deciding on my Halloween costume (book fairy, third wheel, ceiling fan, Waldo?), working on my fiction novel (maaaaybe doing NaNoWriMo. Maaaaybe.), and enjoying our last brunch book club at the pool for the year!

What was the highlight of your week? Are you planning on dressing up for Halloween?