Loving… belonging to the gym again. It’s what my workout routine has been missing. I’m now doing much longer and tougher workouts and lovvvvve going to spin class again. Every time a class starts, I get this silly smile on my face, hehe. I’m trying to make it to the gym four days a week, though I hope to increase that to five or six in the coming months.

Loathing… how expensive having a dog is. I love Dutch and I would do anything for him (and I do). But these past few months have been so damn pricey with multiple vet visits, lab tests, an ultrasound, specialty food, medicine, etc. Obviously, I will swallow any sort of cost as long as he’s getting the medical attention he needs, and this is honestly just life with a geriatric dog. Thankfully, he hasn’t needed any expensive surgeries or further testing. It’s just a bit of a hit to the wallet, that’s all. I think we might be on the tail end of his medical issues (God willing), so I’m hoping for a much less expensive quarter two.

Reading… This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel, and I’m already sad for the day I won’t be reading this book. It is so good. The writing is incredible and the story so important. My local book club picked this for April, but I decided not to read the March pick (the subject matter seemed too heavy for me right now), so I guess I’ll be a little ahead. 🙂

Watching… This Is Us, but I’m only on episode 13, so no spoilers, please! It’s the kind of show where I have to be in the right mood to watch it (like, when I’m ready for a big cry, haha), so I’m very, very slowly making my way through the first season.

Anticipating… seeing Beauty & the Beast this weekend with my mom. We’re going to a movie theater that has fold-out seats, so we’re going to bring blankets, gorge ourselves on popcorn, and cry our hearts out. I can’t wait!

Thinking about… switching my hours at work. I’m grateful that we have a few different work schedules and the flexibility to choose the one that works best for our lives. Right now, I work 7:30-5:00 Mondays-Thursdays (and Fridays I work a half-day) and I’m just finding it so difficult to get out the door by 7am so I can get to work on time. I am considering switching to 8:30-6:00, which would allow me more time in the morning (and then I could take advantage of some of the early-morning workout classes at my gym). Getting home at 6:30 (or later, depending on traffic) would kinda suck, though.

Needing… to reprioritize my book life. Currently, I belong to three different book clubs and I’m also reviewing books for TLC Book Tours about once a month. So, I tend to have a bunch of books that I “must read,” which gets in the way of the books I want to read. I love being a part of so many book clubs, but something has to give. I feel like I keep reading books for other people, less reading books that I picked up myself, if that makes sense.

What are you currently reading, thinking about, and needing?

Loving… friends who take my picky taste buds into account. My friends and I are planning a girls’ night out on March 8th, which is International Women’s Day. A few restaurants were suggested, but before we nailed down the one we wanted to go to, one of my friends came to me directly and told me to check out the menu of a specific restaurant mentioned to see if there was something I could order. Truly, it was such a nice gesture. Be nice to your friends who are picky. They don’t choose to be this way, I promise!

Loathing… politics. I don’t know if I’ll ever have a different answer for this part of my “Currently…” series over the next four years. Everything that “Tweeto von Cheeto” (as I saw him referenced on Twitter once) has done over the past month has been awful, unethical, or downright prejudiced. I mean, he picked a fight with Australia, one of our strongest allies! He’s just not emotionally mature enough to be president, plain and simple.

Reading… The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. I’m reading this for my work book club, and it also fulfills my goal to read four “classics” this year. The writing is heartbreakingly beautiful and the story utterly terrifying.

Watching… The Good Place. I watched the first few episodes when they aired and really loved them, and I’m now able to catch up on the rest of the first season on nbc.com. I adore Kristen Bell and find the premise of this show to be so unique and fun. Check it out if you want a light-hearted comfort watch!

Anticipating… the beginning of Daylight Saving Time in a few short weeks. It will be so nice to have longer hours of daylight. I hate it being pitch-black dark at 6pm! I don’t care about “losing” an hour of sleep when we “Spring Forward.” Gimme more hours of daylight, please and thank you!

Thinking about… people who leave snarky comments on blogs, but then use a fake email address so the blogger cannot appropriately respond to them. This has happened to me a few times recently, and once, I even composed a lengthy response to a very nasty comment, only to get the email kicked back to me as the email address was invalid. Just FYI for those who want to leave snarky comments: if you don’t use an actual email address, I’m not going to approve your comment. Stand behind your snark. Don’t be one of those people who can only post a mean comment if you do it anonymously. That’s just called being a coward.

Needing… to decorate my apartment. My walls are still bare and I need to invest in some wall hangings to liven up my apartment. I’m getting my normal tax refund this year (whew – paying self-employment taxes didn’t set me back as much as I thought they would!), the majority of which will be used to pay off my credit card, but I also might set aside some of it to buy a piece or two of art. (Um. Like, “art” from Target that’s, like, $80. Nothing crazy expensive here.)

What are you currently reading, anticipating, and needing?

Loving… my Fitbit! I am finding it easy to hit my 5,000 steps every day and one day this week, I even hit 10,000! (WUT.) My friend and I are doing one of those Workweek Hustle challenges together and it’s been so much fun to challenge each other to get up and go for walks. I’m taking the stairs instead of the elevator, forcing myself to get up and go for a quick loop around the office once an hour (if possible), and going for long walks around my neighborhood frequently. Hooray for Fitbits!

Loathing… what today means for the U.S. I shared on Instagram about my feelings last night and I think that about sums everything up. I’m just so devastated that Obama’s presidency is coming to an end and that we don’t get to witness a historic day of a woman being sworn in. Instead, it’s… him. God help us.

Reading… The Mothers by Brit Bennett. I’m about halfway through the book and I started it Wednesday evening, so that should tell you how much I am enjoying it. The voice is so distinct and the writing is so lovely and the story is so engaging. My plans this evening are to curl up on my couch and finish the novel, which sounds like a pretty fab Friday night if you ask me.

Watching… season six of Gilmore Girls and season five of The Office. I’ve managed to avoid any spoilers about the Gilmore Girls reboot, so hopefully I can keep that up. I am only a few episodes into season six of Gilmore Girls but godddd, I cannot stand Rory right now. I miss seasons 1-4 Rory. She was the best.

Anticipating… having a lot of FOMO about this weekend. A bunch of my girlfriends are leaving on a trip to New Orleans and I’m not going. The timing just didn’t work out for me, since everyone booked when the price was rock-bottom low (under $200 for a round-trip ticket) and I had just moved and didn’t want to put a big purchase on my credit card. And then the price jumped up and never went back down, and I made the hard decision to stay home. I’m bummed and I am feeling lots of FOMO already, but oh well. There will be other trips.

Thinking about… how complaining has become a way for people to bond. I’ve noticed this with some of my relationships and I’m realizing how draining it is to be around people who complain all the time. It’s okay to vent from time to time, but man, it’s wearisome to listen to complaint after complaint after complaint. Being around people like this has made me take a long, hard look at the way I communicate with people and take notice of the ways I am complaining to others.

Feeling… stressed out whenever I log onto social media nowadays. I’ve basically stopped checking Facebook and I only scroll through Twitter a few times a day because the news is never good. Instagram is my jam, mostly because I follow a lot of dog accounts, which never fail to make me smile. (DogsBeingBasic is my lifeline.) I want to stay informed and I want to keep in touch, but it’s just too much for me and I find myself going to a dark place too often when I’m on social media. Maybe I need a little detox for a while.

What are you currently reading and anticipating?

Loving… the Christmas season. It feels like it’s been a weird Christmas season for me… maybe because I took a cruise right after Thanksgiving? I didn’t decorate my apartment until 10 days into the month and I didn’t start Christmas shopping until two weekends ago, when I’m usually finished by early December. Whew. Even still, I love this time of year, especially the anticipation of Christmas Day. And I’m also stoked that we basically get an entire weekend of Christmas this year. Yessss!

Loathing… spending money. December is such a darn expensive month, is it not? Between buying gifts and attending parties, money has been flying out of my wallet faster than I like. It makes me all sorts of anxious! Come January, I think I’ll engage in a spending freeze and allow my accounts to recover from the chaos of December.

Reading… If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins. I’m finishing out my year with a slew of romance novels, starting with a fun one by one of my favorite authors. This will be Book #91 for the year, so I guess you could say I had a successful year of reading.

Watching… Christmas movies! I’m trying to watch one Christmas movie every night this week while writing Christmas cards and preparing gift bags for my coworkers. It’s been so perfect!

Anticipating… this weekend! Oh, what a Christmassy weekend it will be. On Friday, I’m decorating Christmas cookies with my mom, my oldest nephew, and my brother. On Saturday, my aunt and uncle are hosting a small get-together at their home for the extended family. And on Sunday, my mom and I will open presents and soak in the family time with my brother and his family.

Thinking about… taking risks and following my heart. I feel like I’ve been content to lead a very small life, and I also think I’ve let my introversion, shyness, and high sensitivity hold me back from truly seeking out adventure and new experiences. I’ve been ruminating on what I want my word for 2017 to be and I think it’s going to be something along the lines of liberate or free. I want to liberate myself from the constrictions I’ve placed on myself.

Feeling… very satisfied with 2016. It was a pretty solid year for me and it’s not one of those years where I feel shame or guilt at everything I didn’t accomplish. I moved into my own apartment, dated and had romance, went on some amazing vacations, and grew in my career. I can enter 2017 with hope, excitement, and grace.

What are you currently loving and loathing?

Loving… the fact that today is my last day in the office for 11 days! And that Mom and I start our vacation in two days! Both of us are craving this time away and I’m excited to do a fall cruise for the first time ever. We sail out on Saturday, make stops in Grand Cayman and Jamaica (we’ve planned excursions in both ports!), and return on Thursday. For the first time ever, I’ll be in a completely different country for my birthday, how cool is that? I think that is the perfect way to ring in the last year of my twenties.

Loathing… our president-elect. Duh, right? How any person in America thought he was a better choice for leader of our country over Hillary Clinton is beyond me. And the fact that his Cabinet nominations have all been openly racist, sexist men is just an epitome of what this presidency will be all about. Not to mention, the number of hate crimes that have happened since the election and the fact that Trump’s only response was to say “Stop it” during a nationally televised interview. I’m really worried for America, and I can’t stop thinking about what these next four years might be like.

Reading… 10% Happier by Dan Harris. I’m about halfway through it and I am loving it. I love the way he writes, in such an easy, conversational way, and I love his approach to self-help. He’s such a cynic and that’s exactly what I need. I need someone to ask the questions I’m afraid to ask. A full review to come in my November book report!

Watching… Parks and Rec, if it wasn’t already obvious from my Week in the Life posts. It’s truly the perfect comfort show and just what I need right now.

Anticipating… my fifth Holiday Council. I’m all signed up and ready to go. The first call will take place when I’m on my cruise, but I can’t wait to catch up and start diving into my favorite end-of-year tradition when I get back. I am a huge supporter of Molly’s work, and I love doing the Holiday Council with her every year. It really helps me to make sense of everything that happened over the year and make some intentions for what I want from the upcoming one. If you decide you want to sign up, would you mind using my link? In doing so, I get to put my name in the ring for some goodies from Molly!

Thinking about… how I want to end 2016. I feel like I have this tendency to look back on the year and feel upset over everything I haven’t accomplished: haven’t lost the weight or found love or written the novel. But when I really look back over 2016, I feel good about the things I have accomplished: moving into a place of my own, a substantial raise at my job, growing a freelance side hustle, lots of good adventures. Still, I want to end this year with a bang and the word guiding me through these next five weeks is progress. I want to feel as if I made some progress, even if it’s small, toward my bigger goals. December can be such a crazy month, but it doesn’t mean I can’t make progress on my goals.

Feeling… very loved after my friend, B., treated me to dinner and surprised me with presents as a pre-birthday celebration. We took our time with dinner, catching up and talking about all sorts of subjects, and then the waiter surprised me with a little birthday treat (complete with a lit candle). He also didn’t embarrass me with a happy birthday song, for which I am very grateful. I’m so lucky to have a friend like B.

What are you currently loving, reading, and anticipating?