Feeling… a bit worn out from this week. Work has been crazy stressful lately with so many deadlines happening at the same time. I feel like I spend my whole day running from one task to the other, barely having time to catch my breath. (On Monday, I realized I didn’t move from my desk from noon until 4:30… whoops!)

Anticipating… my upcoming weekend! I’m staying in tonight and then tomorrow starts a fantastic mom/daughter weekend. We’re going to get pedicures and see a movie before enjoying our typical Saturday Night Game Night with my brother (and possibly my older nephew). Then, I’m staying over at my mom’s apartment and on Sunday morning, I’m going to spectate at the 5k she’s running and we’ll most likely enjoy breakfast before I head back to Tampa. I am soooo excited for some good, old-fashioned “mom time.”

Happy… with my roommate’s decision to institute weekly “date nights.” Even though we live together, I honestly don’t see her all that much because she has a crazy social calendar and she’s gone most weekends (I can count on one hand the number of weekends she’s been in town since we moved in September!) And she’s one of my favorite people to hang out with, so I’m really glad she noticed this and asked to do weekly dates. (Our date this week was to make homemade s’mores while watching The Princess Diaries, so who the heck needs a boyfriend when you have a soul sister like my roommate?)

Reading… Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy. I bought a physical copy of this book to read on my cruise, but I didn’t have time to start it. This is actually the first book I’ve bought in… well, forever, it seems. It kinda gave me this itch to buy more books… which can’t be good.

Grateful… that my congestion has just about cleared up. And I have no reason for why it did! I’m trying to be mindful of dairy (cow’s milk and ice cream especially seem to contribute to the congestion) and I switched over to a fragrance-free laundry detergent, but other than that, maybe the change in seasons? I am waking up in the middle of the night to a clogged nose, so it’s not completely gone and I still want to see a doctor about it, but honestly, all of the praise-hand emojis to feeling better!

Using… the 1 Second Everyday app. The premise behind is app is, as its name suggests, to take a one-second video of your day so that you have this short video of these tiny, everyday moments of your life. I’m planning to post weekly videos to Instagram because it seems like such a fun – and super low-key – way to document my daily life.

Frustrated… with Dutch’s middle-of-the-night wake-ups. I know he can’t help it, but man, is it exhausting. I can’t remember the last time he let me sleep through the night – he’s usually waking me up anytime between 1-3am needing to go out. #seniordogprobz

Planning… where I want to go on my next vacation. One of my yearly goals is to visit a state I’ve never been to before, and I’m thinking about North Carolina. Flights to North Carolina can be super cheap and I’ve heard such great things about Asheville that I really want to visit!

Wanting… to get back into a regular exercise routine. I haven’t been to the gym in weeks. It’s just been such a struggle to wake up early to work out. I could work out after work but, honestly, the last thing I want to do after a long day at work is get my butt to the gym. Oh, the struggle!

Hoping… to take a solo adventure soon. I’m thinking a stroll through the botanical gardens is exactly what my soul needs!

What are you currently anticipating, reading, and frustrated about?

loving my changing duties at work and how much it is challenging me

reading The Mapmaker’s Children by Sarah McCoy

watching Gilmore Girls, all day, erryday

counting down the days until my short-but-sweet cruise at the beginning of March with my mom, my stepdad, and my roommate (13 days!)

talking singleness with a close friend who is in the same life stage as me and feeling heard and accepted and supported

eating dairy-free this week and having lots of epiphanies

feeling lonely more often and at a loss for how to solve this problem

happy that my credit card is paid off (thanks, uncle sam!)

wanting to revamp my wardrobe with new items that make me feel amazing

tracking my food on My Fitness Pal (and crying about how fast 1,600 calories goes)

hoping to take myself to a Saturday matinee very soon (I’ve… never gone to a movie by myself)

wondering if it’s time to try a paid dating service

struggling with being the single caretaker of an aging dog

sleeping with an assortment of pillows: four regular pillows, a body pillow, and an oversized square pillow

realizing how much I desire a family of my own

What are you currently loving, reading, and happy about?

Feeling… very frustrated by my congestion woes and trying to remember a time when I wasn’t congested. I need two working nostrils again, pleaseandthankyou.

Anticipating… a trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter tomorrow. I just reread the first book and it gave me so many happy feels, so I am really looking forward to visiting this magical place again.

Happy… that I have bangs again! I’m very much a fan of changing up my hairstyle frequently, and I’ve been thinking about getting bangs for a while now. I am very happy with my decision!

Reading… Where We Belong by Emily Giffin. I just started it last night and her books typically take me a while to get into, but it’s good so far! 

Watching… Quantico. I’m only two episodes away from finishing the first half of season one, and it’s become such a guilty pleasure of mine. The show is completely ridiculous, the acting is pretty atrocious, and there’s way too much going on in terms of characters and plotlines, but still, I am hooked.

Grateful… for a full calendar. It can be overwhelming at times as someone who basically likes to be a lump as much as possible, but I am very grateful for the people in my life and the memories I’m making.

Taking a break… from Facebook right now. I placed the app on the second screen of my phone, so I’m not tempted to mindlessly scroll through the feed. Facebook sometimes makes me feel bad about myself and my life, and when that happens, I know I just need to step away for the time being.

Using… a Neti pot, but not very successfully. This could be TMI, but whatever. From everything I saw and read, the water is just supposed to flow into one nostril and out the other. Fine, good, whatever. It just doesn’t for me. At most, I can get it to flow into one and then drip oh-so-slowly out of the other. And sometimes, it won’t even do that. I think my nostrils are broken.

Planning… to “run” a race next weekend. It’s called the Color Buzz and is a type of Color Run. I did it with my mom last year and it was a lot of fun. We were a mess by the end of it, but hilariously so. I can’t wait!

Obsessed with… my new planner. I always thought I was not the paper planner kind of girl, but I suppose I just hadn’t found the right one for me. I love using my planner to write down my goals for the week and things I need to do, as well as upcoming events. I am a changed woman.

Wanting… to feel more settled. I don’t even know what I need to feel more settled; it’s not as if I am dying to be in a relationship right now (a few Tinder dates over the past few weeks have me wanting to stay single forever). I guess I’m always in this perpetual state of waiting for the next shoe to drop, waiting for my life to be upended somehow. I know it’s just my anxiety talking, but it’s a nervous place to be.

Hoping… that my dermatology appointment goes well next week. I have a few moles that my doctor advised me to get checked out. (I have a lot of moles, have had them all my life, but don’t tend to worry about them since they’ve never grown in size.) The one she found was on my back and “worried her” so I scheduled an appointment. So, no, I absolutely haven’t been worrying about that at all. Absolutely not. Don’t you know me? Worry? HA. HA. HA.

What are you currently anticipating, watching, and obsessed with?

Loving… that Christmas is a mere four days away. I have so much anticipation right now! I do have to work Christmas Eve, but I’m hoping to get off work in time to attend a candlelight service at a nearby church with my mom. Dutch and I will be spending the night at her place on Christmas Eve and then spend the morning preparing to host Christmas dinner for our family. (We’re both a wee bit stressed out about hosting dinner, but I think we’ll get through it with our sanity intact. I hope so, at least.)

Reading… Instant Attraction by Jill Shalvis. I read this book back in 2010 and have a rave review of it on Goodreads, and decided to re-read it. I’m on a mission to read as many contemporary romance novels as I can to give me some inspiration for my novel, which is in the same genre. This is the kind of research I can totally get behind!

Anticipating… writing my “Best of 2015” posts for this year. It’s something I’ve been doing since 2009 and it’s one of my favorite yearly traditions. The first post will be published on Wednesday, so stay tuned!

Planning… my goals for 2016. I have some really specific ideas in mind for what I want to accomplish in the new year, based on how I am feeling as I wrap up 2015.

Thinking… constantly about my novel and the kind of work I want to put out into the world.

Frustrated… with car issues. My car has, thankfully, been problem-free since I got it almost three years ago, but the past two weeks have been very costly ones on the car front. I think I’ve spent more than $800 between an oil change, engine inspections, four new tires, and a necessary repair to a water pump. And there is still a $600 repair that it will need soon, but that I just cannot afford right now. I really, really wish I didn’t have to be dependent on a car.

Wondering… how I am going to focus on work this week! I am such a little kid at heart when it comes to Christmas, and I’m filled with so much joy about what this week will bring.

Feeling… up and down, I guess is the best way to describe it. Some days I am happy and carefree and feeling so blessed with my life, and other days, I am lonely and worn out and wanting to hibernate for a month straight. It’s this strange dichotomy that has me feeling like my emotions are playing Russian roulette on a daily basis.

Sad… about Grandma, about my dad, about the missing pieces in my life.

Grateful… for the beauty of my life. I have so much to be thankful for: a beautiful home, a wonderful roommate, fabulous friends, a loving mother, a supportive brother, adorable nephews, a job I love, and a dog I adore. I have a good life, and it’s easy to forget that when I constantly ponder the “what if’s” and the “should have’s.”

Wishing… that loved ones could make phone calls from Heaven. I’d just like to hear my grandma’s voice again.

What are you currently reading, anticipating, and grateful for?

Loving… NaNoWriMo. I am having such a fun time writing my story. It’s a contemporary romance and my main character has a lot of my characteristics, so that’s fun to write about. I love NaNoWriMo for forcing me to do the work. And I’m over halfway to my goal, so there’s no stopping me now.

Reading… A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James. It’s a re-telling of Cinderella, and I’m reading it to fulfill the “retelling of a classic story” category for the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge. I don’t think I’ll finish all the categories in this challenge (I won’t complete the microhistory and “novel published before 1850” categories), but I am going to deem this challenge a success anyway. Now I need to figure out a new reading challenge for 2016!

Anticipating… my trip to Universal Studios on Saturday, where I will visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for the very first time! I’m going with Roomie and I know we are going to have the best time! I’ve never been to WWoHP (the last time I was at Universal, I hadn’t even read the books yet!), so I can’t wait to experience the magic. I want to reread the series next year, and I think this will give me the inspiration to do so.

Planning… to participate in The Holiday Council 2015. This will be my fourth or fifth year doing this program, and it’s one of my favorite end-of-year traditions. Reflecting on the past year and setting intentions for the upcoming year is my jam, and I can’t wait for another three weeks of magic with Molly. 🙂

Wanting… an essential oils diffuser because I think it might help the congestion I’m still dealing with at night. I put it on my Christmas list and hinted to my mom and brother that I would really, really like that. We’ll see what’s under the tree on Christmas morning!

Thinking about… taking a break from social media for a little while. I understand why, but my feeds have gotten a wee bit too political lately. I’ve been getting lost in Facebook debates (not participating, just reading them) and there is just so much shaming that is happening, which makes me sad. A little time away never hurt anyone!

Wondering… how different Thanksgiving will feel this year without Grandma. I love Thanksgiving, so there’s a part of me that’s really looking forward to the holiday, but I’m also dreading how emotional the day will be.

Excited about… my next cruise – March 2016! My mom, stepdad, Roomie, and I are all going. It’ll be Roomie’s first cruise and I am so excited for her to experience it. It’ll be a quick cruise – just a 4-day one out of Tampa – but I am already counting down the days.

Celebrating… turning 28 in a matter of days! Ten days to be exact. I am feeling very good about 28. I feel weird to turn that age because I still feel like a kid, and I haven’t hit the milestones I thought I would have hit by now, but I feel like I am coming into my own. I’ve grown so much in this past year and have gone through certain deep valleys that I’ve emerged from knowing myself and what I want and need so much better. Here’s to a new age!

Grateful… for the love and support I’ve received from the blogging community in recent weeks. I always knew this community was an amazingly loving place – it’s been the one place where I feel like I can fully be myself and feel accepted – but I’ve been blown away. The cards, the emails, the care packages. It means so much to me, and I don’t know how to adequately convey my appreciation. Just… thank you. And I will pay it forward.

What are you currently reading, excited about, and grateful for?