Recurring Series

Monthly Check-In: May/June

Tomorrow is June 1st! SAY WHAT?!

I’m quite excited that it’s summer, though, and all the fun that awaits me this upcoming month. Things like not spending any money, quitting sugar, and doing the 30-Day Shred! Oh. Wait. It will be a challenging month, that’s for sure, but I’m more than ready to handle it.

For my new style of recapping the month and looking forward to the next one, I’m following Jessica’s style of reflecting on three great things that happened in May and setting three intentions for June. Let’s get right to it, shall we?

In May, I…

1. Came back from another fabulous cruise. It feels weird that I just came back from my cruise at the beginning of May. Between settling back into normal life and a spontaneous mini-vacation in Orlando, my cruise feels like a lifetime ago! As expressed in my multiple blog posts on the subject, my cruise was nothing but wonderful and I’m so happy I had the opportunity to go. I’m not planning on cruising again for a while (I have two major life goals I want to cross off before I even think about booking another cruise!) so I tried to enjoy every moment and soak up all the incredible experiences.

2. Vacationed in Orlando! I just came back from a fabulous, whirlwind trip in Orlando on Monday and it was such a fun little getaway. We visited Hollywood Studios and Disney World and while it was hot and crowded on both days, I still had a fabulous time. I love Orlando!

3. Won a spot in Nicole’s 30-Day Sugar Detox program. When I found out about the 30-Day Sugar Detox program, run by the fabulous Nicole of Life Less Bullshit, I knew I wanted to join in. But when enrollment rolled around, I was at a crossroads with my finances and I couldn’t fit all the pieces together to make it work. So when Amy hosted a giveaway for it, I immediately put my name in the ring and I won! I am super, super excited because I desperately need this and I just know it is going to be life-changing for me.

In June, I will…

1. Shut down all electronics by 9pm. I had been doing good with getting to bed at a decent time, which made waking up early to exercise before work almost easy. (Almost. A 5:30am alarm is never actually easy to wake up to.) Lately, though, I’m getting to bed later and later, leading me to press snooze and tell myself I’ll work out after work. (Which is not my favorite.) I think I need to get back into the habit of powering down the laptop, turning off the TV, and preparing for bed by 9pm to get back to my early bedtimes. My mornings are feeling rushed and frantic, which leads to me feeling very panicky and stressed on a daily basis. Early bedtime = more sleep = happier me. It’s a win-win!

2. Do the 30-Day Shred. I need a boost in my fitness routine and I thought completing another 30-Day Shred challenge would be just the ticket! The last time I completed this challenge, I lost 4 inches around my body so I’m hoping coupling the workouts with better eating habits will bring me even greater results.

3. Drink water with all of my meals. I go through highs and lows with my water consumption. Some weeks, I’m a water drinkin’ machine and other weeks? It’s all I can do to down even 20 ounces! I know I feel better when I’m drinking a lot of water, so I want to get back into the habit of it. Plus, it’s June in Florida which means hot temps and crazy humidity. Water is a must!

What is one great thing that happened in your life in May? Have you set any intentions for June?

Categories: Recurring Series

Five For Friday

1 – I’ve been dealing with a pulled muscle in my right shoulder blade for over a week now. I’ve taken a complete rest from all exercise (I did exercise on Tuesday but then my shoulder ached all day long), been applying IcyHot patches for an hour a day, and popping Advil like it’s candy. It’s slowly starting to feel better, but it feels like it’s taking forever. It’s funny, though, how much perspective injuries give you. I miss being able to lift weights and do push-ups and work out on the elliptical! And I may even miss doing burpees.

(Not really.)

2 – With nothing incredibly exciting looming on the horizon for me, I’ve decided to take on two 3-month challenges for the summer months: a budget challenge and Project 333. I’ll be talking more about them in the coming months but for now, suffice it to say, I am really excited about what these three months will bring and how they will change me. The budget challenge is so necessary right now because my finances are a bit of a mess. I need to tighten the reins! And Project 333 is something I’ve wanted to do ever since Ashley posted about it a year ago and I’m excited to minimalize my wardrobe and learn more about my personal style. Stay tuned!

3 – I saw The Great Gatsby last weekend and thought it was such a great movie! I reread the book last month in preparation for the movie coming out and it’s actually a bit of a downer book. I don’t remember the ending being so sad when I read it in high school. (I think I was too busy fawning over Gatsby…) Anyway, I really enjoyed the movie and the glitz and glamour of it all. I thought it was really well done and stayed very true to the book.

4 – NASHVILLE. OMG. How am I going to wait until September to find out what happens next?! I can’t even deal.

5 – Tomorrow, my mom and I are off to Orlando for a fun mini-vacation for the long weekend. I still have two days left on my four-day Disney pass which expires in two weeks. So we decided to make it a weekend! We’re going to Hollywood Studios tomorrow and Disney World on Sunday, and then we check out of the hotel on Monday. I’m excited about a little getaway and I always love being in Orlando. I can’t wait!

What do you have planned for the summer? Any fun adventures or challenges or travels?

Categories: Recurring Series

5 Things I’m Looking Forward to Next Week

Well, it is officially my last day of work before vacation starts! On Monday, my mom and I will board the Carnival Paradise for our fourth cruise together. It’s a five-day cruise, sailing to Grand Cayman and Cozumel. We have fun excursions planned at both stops and I’m just excited to spend an entire week completely disconnected from reality, reading trashy romance novels while sunbathing, drinking fruity cocktails, and having completely new experiences.

On that note, I wanted to take time today to list five things I am looking forward to next week:

1. Fancy dinners. I was talking about cruising with a friend after I had come back from my cruise last May and she mentioned how she doesn’t like cruising because everything is decided for her, like entertainment and eating. I mean, I get it. You don’t get a whole lot of options when it comes to what you want to eat. But for me? That’s one of my favorite things about cruising: I don’t have to make any decisions! I don’t have to think about where I want to eat and then what I want to eat… I just go to the dining room at my appointed time and pick off the menu. They have a variety of options that changes nightly so I never feel bored with my choices. There are no “I don’t know, where do you want to eat?” conversations. It’s nice. Plus, the food is pretty good and the desserts are amazing. I think the only thing I don’t like about the dinners is that they seat you with other people on the ship. While you can request to have your own table, we never have. I just get very panicky about having to make small talk with strangers, but in a way, it’s very good for me to do so and be more friendly than I’m apt to be.

2. Serenity deck. Oh, my favorite part of the ship. The Serenity Deck is an adults-only deck that offers a peaceful retreat, away from the hustle and bustle of the lido deck. The deck chairs are more luxurious, the space is calm, and it feels like a true getaway. I love the Serenity deck so much, though it’s a small area of the ship so the deck chairs fill up quickly, especially on days at sea. It’s just a wonderful experience.

3. Our excursions in Grand Cayman and Cozumel. This will be our third time in each port of call, so we wanted to be more adventurous with our excursion picking. We’ve done Stingray City twice, we’ve swum with dolphins, we’ve toured ancient ruins, we’ve zip-lined, we’ve snorkeled… we’ve done it all, it seems! But we did a lot of searching, even looking at discount excursion websites to see if we could find different options somewhere else, but eventually wound up back on the Carnival website and found two fabulous excursions. In Grand Cayman, we are going parasailing (!) and then spending a few hours on the famous Seven-Mile Beach. We typically stay away from “beach escape” types of experiences, but once I got it in my head to go parasailing, I couldn’t think of anything I’d rather do! (The beach is just an extra perk!) I am really, really excited about this excursion and hopefully, the wind is calm and cooperates!

In Cozumel, we are participating in the Amazing Cozumel Race. My mom and I are huge fans of the reality show The Amazing Race and I’ve bypassed this excursion a few times. On the Carnival website, it has over 60 reviews and a 4.9 out of 5 rating. And I read through every single review and got this overwhelming feeling of, we have to do this! So we booked it and I’m equal parts nervous and excited. It involves running around San Miguel, the largest town in Cozumel. The locals get involved and it is a fun few hours of deciphering clues. At the end of the race, all the teams converge at a cantina for a post-race ceremony. Our excursions in Cozumel haven’t been the best, so I’m really hoping this one will be fabulous! It sounds like such a fun way to explore the city.

4. Disconnecting for five days. I am so looking forward to disconnecting from reality and getting away from it all. I need a break from spreadsheets and number crunching and analysis. I need time away from computers and Twitter and Instagram. I need five days where I can be completely present and in the moment, not worried about to-do lists or posts to write or workouts to complete. Just here. Present. Available.

5. That vacation feeling. Oh, you know the feeling. That feeling of release, of being free from problems that happen in the real world. That feeling of waking up leisurely and eating whatever you want. That feeling of having a drink at midday, with the sun beating hot on your face and the ocean in front of you. That feeling of experience, of getting outside and doing things that are slightly scary but bring the life back to your eyes. That feeling of not having a “to-do” list to work from or duties to adhere to. That vacation feeling… it rejuvenates me. It brings a pep back into my step. I’m so ready to experience that feeling once again.

Three more sleeps!

Categories: Recurring Series

Always, Sometimes, Never…: The Cruise Edition

I’ve always been a fan of Lisa’s “Always, Sometimes, Never…” series on her blog and thought, in honor of my fourth cruise coming up (five more sleeps!), I thought I would publish my own list – a cruise edition one!

While cruising, I always…

Get an ocean view room. The upgrade is completely worth it. I couldn’t imagine being on a ship and not being able to look outside. Waking up to the ocean stretching in front of me for miles and miles and miles is an experience I never want to miss. I need natural sunlight seeping through the curtains and to be able to watch the sunset while perched on my bed as I get ready for dinner. This is something I refuse to compromise on.

Choose an excursion through the cruise line. Look, I get it. I understand that when I book through Carnival, it’s more expensive and I can find cheaper, more authentic ways to spend my time in whatever port of call I’m at by searching around online. But I am just not at the comfort level yet of booking through a discount website. I have had nothing but good experiences with the excursions I’ve booked through Carnival and it gives me a level of safety and comfort that I need when I’m in a foreign country.

Buy the same drink, over and over again. I’m not a huge drinker and I can’t stand the taste of alcohol in most drinks but on my first cruise, I ordered a drink called the Mango Swirl. It’s half mango daiquiri and half pina colada and it is, without a doubt, the best drink I have ever had. I get it at least a few times when I’m cruising and I even drank it out of a coconut once. Oh, cruise life.

Come back to the ship at least an hour before it leaves port. I am a bit of a nervous wreck about being back on the ship on time. Obviously, you don’t want to get left behind in a foreign country so I make sure I know exactly when the ship is leaving, that my phone is displaying the correct time, and that I’m back on the ship usually an hour (sometimes earlier) before it leaves. Nobody wants to be stranded!

While cruising, I sometimes…

Buy the ship’s photos. Yes, they are crazy overpriced and cheesy, but how could I pass up a photo of my mom and I with a Rastafarian in Jamaica… or a pirate holding a sword up to my throat? While not all of the photos are worth the price tag, there are some priceless ones that are worth buying.

Check out the nightly entertainment. Some of it is incredibly cheesy, but there are some good shows that happen at night. When we have late dining (which starts at 8:15pm), it’s harder to get to the shows since they start when we’re still at dinner but there’s always something intriguing to check out! I especially love the comedy nights, as they have some fairly good comics on the ship. (Or I’m just easily entertained.) Some nights, there isn’t anything that interests us so those nights, we may walk around the ship but eventually end up going back to our room, putting on our jammies, and reading in bed. I love those nights!

Carry on luggage. Just as with flying, you can choose to carry on your luggage or let the ship handle it. This means handing it off to crew members outside the port and then waiting in anxious anticipation for your luggage to arrive at your door. Sometimes, this is within an hour of getting on the ship and sometimes it will be longer. I get really anxious about my luggage getting lost (it’s never happened, but I am a worrywart) so on our last cruise, we opted to carry on and we’re hoping to do that with this cruise. On our last five-day cruise, we grossly overpacked so I think we can manage to fit all our needs into our Grand Traveler. Fingers crossed!

Play in the casino. I’m not a huge fan of the casino and basically hate anything involved with gambling so it’s not an exciting part of the ship for me. But if there’s nothing going on entertainment-wise, or we have some time to kill before a show, we’ll go over to the casino and play the slots.

While cruising, I never…

Use the pool. I have never stepped foot into the pools on the ship. Mainly, because it’s always so crowded and filled with kids splashing everywhere. I’ve never been too impressed with the pools on the Carnival ships, quite frankly. (Though I have been on some of the older ships. I’m sure the newer ships have better pools. Right?)

Order room service. Even though it’s absolutely free and gives you the convenience of eating in your room, I have never ordered room service on a cruise. As introverted as I am, I like being out and eating from the buffet or going to the dinners and forcing myself to make conversation with my tablemates. I really have not seen a need for room service – yet!

Use the Internet. One of my favorite things about cruising (besides, well, everything) is that it’s my chance to completely disconnect and step away from technology. I have this problem with needing to be super connected all the time. I scroll through Twitter incessantly, think in 140-character thoughts, and feel as if I need to Instagram every major moment in time. I want to keep up with reading blogs and writing my own posts. My face is in front of a screen for more hours than it’s not. When I get on the ship, my phone goes on airplane moment once we start sailing. Aside from the first time I cruised, I never bring my laptop, opting to bring a journal and write out my thoughts when the moment strikes me. I rarely even use my phone, unless I want to capture a memory. I love being disconnected. The Internet will be here when I get back. There’s no reason for me to use it on my vacation.

Attend the deck parties. I have no idea what happens at a deck party. I’m not sure why I haven’t gone to a deck party on a cruise, but it just doesn’t seem like my kind of thing, you know? I’m sure it’s fun for people who like that sort of thing, but it’s not something that sounds like a good time for me. (Social anxiety, anyone?)

What is one of your “always” while vacationing?

Categories: Recurring Series

Currently…

Feeling… very apprehensive about Sunday. After much cajoling and peer pressure from my mom and her friends, I signed up to walk the Iron Girl 5K on Sunday. My mom, her friend, and I will all be walking it together and it’s her friend’s first 5K so that will be a neat experience. Plus, the race is located on Clearwater Beach so we’ll have gorgeous views, good conversations, and a pretty medal at the end! (Completely honest… I probably would not have signed up if I didn’t get a medal. I love races that give out medals for 5Ks!)

Writing… barely any fiction lately. Well, none, actually. And I’ve lost all my inspiration and motivation for fiction writing, too. I guess it’s true that the less you do it, the harder it is to jump back into it.

Reading… The Great Gatsby. It’s the April book for my book club. (I actually picked this book and pushed hard for it! Usually, I sit back and let others decide.) I read the book in 10th grade and remember liking it (and I never liked any novels I had to read for school!) so I’m excited to read it again. We made plans to see the movie when it comes out, too! Whee!

Listening… better when I’m around people. Like most people my age, I have a hard time putting my phone down but I keep seeing bloggers write about putting away the phone/laptop/tablet/whatever when they’re with people and I’m trying to do the same. It’s not always easy, but I am more intentional about it.

Eating… spaghetti, as I write this on Thursday night. Spaghetti is my go-to easy meal when I want to cook something simple, delicious, and moderately healthy. And the leftovers are the best ever!

Wishing… for a new pair of glasses. I’ve really never liked the glasses I have, so I’ve been scouring Coastal.com for something new. I really like their options and prices, so I may find myself ordering from them in the near future!

Enjoying… vacation anticipation. Just 17 days until my cruise! I can’t wait. My mom and I have been making plans, looking up excursion options, and getting all sorts of excited about our vacation.

Drinking… Mike’s Hard Lemonade. I rarely drink (and I never have drinks on hand at the house) but we bought this drink when our Favorite Georgia Family was here so I decided to break all my rules and have one on a work night. Delicious!

Learning… that I’m stronger than I think I am. We place so many limits on ourselves. Saying “I could never…” is so much easier than, “I think I can…” (Sorry to go all Little Engine I Could there.) The harder path is never the easiest, but it is the most worthwhile. I need to keep remembering that.

Missing… how I used to sleep. I just cannot sleep well lately. Weekends used to be my favorite because I would sleep in and feel so well-rested, but now I’m up by 7:30, even if I’ve gone to bed late. I’m not a fan of this!

Thinking… about what the future holds for me. Life keeps slipping past me, unnoticed. Days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months, months turn into years. And I feel so stagnant in my life. I feel like I have so much more to offer, so much more to explore, so much more to pour my heart into. But I hold myself back because of fear, loneliness, anxiety, laziness. I want more, but there are days when I just don’t want to put the time and energy into doing what needs to be done to get more.

Using… Spotify, finally. I chatted about it with a few ladies on Twitter and they convinced me to give it a try over Pandora. I’m still getting used to it and figuring out how to use it but I like what I see so far! Being able to sample entire albums and create playlists is what ultimately drew me to it.

Have you ever ordered glasses online? What’s your favorite go-to simple meal to cook at home?

// inspired by Amy