1) I seem to go in spurts with my Friday posts. Sometimes, I want to keep it simple with a TGIF update, and other times, I want to write longer-form lists about what’s going on in my world. Right now, I’m feeling more of the latter. It’s probably because when I go through a difficult time, all I want to do is write about it. Writing is my safe place, it’s where I can get all my thoughts and feelings down in one place. So this is what I do. I write. I’ll just keep writing until I can make sense of things.
2) I’ve come to terms with the fact that I will not finish the Book Riot reading challenge. I only have five categories left to complete, but they are five categories I really wasn’t looking forward to completing, and I never want reading to become a chore. I’m on the fence about this reading challenge because I’m glad it made me read some books I’ve been meaning to read (Americanah and The Outsiders come quickly to mind), but I also slogged through books I only finished to mark a category complete (like The Pearl that Broke its Shell and Olive Kitteridge). I’m not upset about not finishing the challenge because, frankly, I’m excited to get back to my TBR list and reading the books I’ve been looking forward to reading. Bottom line: reading should be fun! And for some people, reading challenges are fun, and for others, they are not. Do what feels good for you!
3) I cooked twice this week! I’m very proud of that because cooking hasn’t been my thing lately. (It really never has been. Cooking is a necessary evil for me.) On Monday, I made turkey meatloaf and had the leftovers for lunch this week. Then, on Tuesday, I baked Italian chicken (easiest recipe ever: marinate chicken in Italian dressing overnight, then bake it!). I’m trying to eat at home more (weekends are a mess, so I’m trying to focus on weekdays), which means cooking more. Sigh, this adulthood stuff is for the birds.
4) New shows I’ve tried: Scream Queens (not for me, gave me terrible anxiety!), Life in Pieces (I love this show mostly because Colin Hanks gives me heart-eyes, but it’s pretty funny, too), and The Grinder (not as funny as I was hoping, but I adore Rob Lowe so much). Other shows I’m taping but haven’t gotten around to watching: Code Black and Quantico.
5) This weekend is going to be a busy one, but I’m glad about it because last weekend held a bit too much alone time. Alone time is wonderful, but too much of it just leads me to feel lethargic and lonely. Introverts crave social interaction, too! Anyway, today, Roomie and I are having a fun day together where we’ll carve pumpkins, make pizzas, and watch The Nightmare Before Christmas (I’ve never seen it!). I haven’t had solid girl time with my Roomie for weeks, so this day is much needed. On Saturday, I’ll catch up on chores and errands, and spend some time with my mom (it’ll be her first time seeing the apartment, now that we’re all moved in and unpacked!) And Sunday will be filled with the usual – football and family. Happy weekend!
Do you like reading challenges? What are your plans for this weekend?
Ooooh, The Nightmare Before Christmas! I really hope you enjoy it. Such a classic.
The whole day you have planned with your roommate sounds wonderful. And hey, after you make pizzas you’ll be able to say you cooked three times this week! 😀
I’ve never tried a reading challenge but am sure I couldn’t keep up – & I’m no good at slogging through books that I don’t like, so I probably would’ve given up pretty early on! This will sound silly to you, but I set a goal of reading a book a month this year, because I have put off my love of reading for SO long, & it’s been great to get back into it a little bit. So a reading challenge of my own, if you will, is much more enjoyable. 🙂
I just blogged about how much I love Quantico. It’s so cheesy, but I’m really enjoying it so far!
I totally get what you mean re: introverts needing to socialize too! I love to go out and hang out with friends – just need to recharge later. I can’t be holed up at home all the time, or I’d probably go nuts. :p
Your weekend sounds lovely :). Making pizzas especially!
I’ve never done a reading challenge and doubt I ever will. They just aren’t my thing. I love reading, but as you said, reading should be fun! If I don’t like a book, I give it up right away. If I’m lukewarm about a book, I will get about halfway-2/3’s through and then leave it lying somewhere, possibly never to pick it up again. If I love a book, I take my time enjoying and immersing myself in its world. I am not a quick reader.
As for this weekend, I have plans to be lazy with my boyfriend tonight, although we may go for a nature walk if he is up for it. Tomorrow will be spent gathering job resources together, visiting my family quickly, and having solid girls time! Girls dates are always a necessity ;).
Good job on the cooking! After two weeks of eating our during our moving process, I was starting to miss cooking dinners at home and bringing my lunch to work because it’s cheaper and healthier. I recently read a blog post by a woman who brought her lunch to work everyday for a month; she lost 5 pounds and saved $200!
Your weekend plans sounds fun. I’m hoping to carve some pumpkins this weekend, too. The weather is cooling down here in Sac so it’s finally feeling like fall. 🙂
I am really enjoying Life in Pieces and The Grinder too!
So far, I’ve watched the first episode of both Code Black and Quantico. I thought both pilots were awesome! I’m really looking forward to catching up on both of those shows. I love fall TV premieres and checking all the new shows out!
Enjoy your weekend!
I liked doing the reading challenge but will say that I didn’t enjoy all the categories – especially the book written before 1850 one. But all in all it was fun to do research and find books that fit the categories and I liked challenging myself. It is nice to be done and just read what I feel like reading though!
Sounds like you have a fun weekend on deck! I know what you mean about having too much alone time… We are in Boston exploring and are having a great time!!
Aw, I don’t think Ashley D and I had enough eat at home and watch TV days while we lived together!
We’re being rained on all weekend so staying in. Today we took the dogs out to the field across the street and got wet and let the dogs get muddy. It was SO much fun. Then home to clean all of us, bubble bath for the humans, and now I’m on the couch with the internet. Twinkle lights, rain sounds, and music. Perfect day and it’s only 4pm!