The high of my week was exploring St. Augustine with Alex. It was my first time in the city, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I’m planning an entire post on our weekend, so I won’t say much about what we did. Suffice it to say, we’re already talking about going back very soon. It’s such an easy weekend trip, and such a cute city to visit!

The low of my week was yesterday, with a bunch of little annoyances kept piling up. First, I went to Starbucks for breakfast and the line was way too long for me to wait. Then, I realized I left my iPad at home and wouldn’t be able to read my book during lunch (I was dyinggg to finish it!) And then, work was just a wee bit stressful. In the grand scheme of things, not a terrible day, and if this is the worst I can come up with for my week, I’d say I’m doing pretty alright.

A blog post I really enjoyed was What I Struggle With by my good friend Lisa. A bunch of bloggers have written similar posts, and it was so interesting to read her thoughts, too. Sometimes, being vulnerable about the difficult areas in our lives is incredibly hard, but it’s also so therapeutic and humanizing. Every one of us is struggling with something. Nobody lives an easy, perfect life. We all are guilty of falling into the comparison trap, of believing others have it so much easier than us just because of what they portray online. My favorite posts to write are the ones where I’m being open, honest, and vulnerable about something I’m struggling with, and Lisa’s post really resonated with me.

Most of us tend to focus on the good and positive aspects of our life but it can sometimes paint an unrealistic picture of an effortless, issue-free life. Yes, I love my life and am very happy with where I am today, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things I struggle with.

The best money I spent was $14 to tour the Castillo de San Marcos while in St. Augustine. This place was fascinating and I never wanted to leave. We took our time walking through the entire fort and even got to witness them firing off a cannon, which was incredible. I want to go back!

For my workouts, I completed three runs and a ton of walking on Saturday in St. Augustine (20,500 steps, to be exact!) Right now, I’m solely focused on being ready to run my 5k at the end of March. I’m doing Couch to 5k and I started week one this week! It’s difficult, but good things in life don’t come easy, right? Right.

My plans this weekend include date night with Alex tonight. Saturday, I plan to spend some time decluttering, working on a freelance project, and watching the playoff games with my family (and Alex!) And on Sunday, it’s all playoffs, all day. I can’t believe after this weekend, we only have 3 more games left of the NFL season. Why does it go so fast? Wah.

What was the highlight of your week?

I hadn’t planned on saying anything for a while, but it was made “Facebook official” on Wednesday night, so I feel I should address it on my blog. So! I am seeing someone. Someone who has completely changed my world and makes me enormously happy. And it’s new – super new – but everything just feels right with him. You know? There’s no drama, no wondering how he’s feeling. He makes me laugh. He’s smart. He’s kind. He’s sincere. He’s so fucking romantic that I’m in this constant state of swooniness. (<– Totes a word.) I mean, he’s a Patriots fan, so he’s not perfect by any means. It’s been a whirlwind, though, and I’m so excited to see how things unfold with him.

The high of my week was date night with Alex. We had dinner (I barely ate half my meal… APPETITE, PLEASE COME BACK!), watched a Christmas lights show, strolled around Barnes & Noble, and then sat in his car for a while talking. It was so, so nice. And easy. And fun. And basically perfect. (And this was the night he asked me to be his girlfriend, which HELLO SWOON.)

The low of my week was still not having an appetite. I mean, it’s good because I’ve lost 6 lbs in two weeks, but also not good because I really miss the enjoyment I used to have toward food. I was even scrolling through Instagram and saw a picture of a cupcake and my stomach twisted. A CUPCAKE. I LOVE CUPCAKES. I have an appointment to see my doctor next week, so I’m definitely going to bring this up to her. I’ve never, ever had a problem with my appetite, and it’s kinda pissing me off now.

A blog post I really enjoyed was The Toughest Bad Habit to Kick by Blonde on a Budget. Cait is on a yearlong shopping and takeout coffee ban, and she’s about five months into the project. In this blog post, she’s talking about her experience so far, and how she slipped up once, but is learning from the (slight) mistake.

I’m lucky that most people encourage me to make good choices. Unfortunately, there will always be someone who will guide you to make the bad choice; to give into your cravings because “you deserve it”. But what you really deserve is to reap the rewards that come with making good choices.

The best money I spent was $12 on new towels. Yes, on. new. towels. And I’m excited about my new towels! Hi, my name is Stephany and I am officially a Boring Adult.

My plans this weekend include attending a Christmas party and baking Christmas cookies with my mom, brother, and nephew on Sunday. A very Christmassy weekend indeed!

What was the highlight of your week?

Friday was my Christmas party for work and I had a blast. I met up with two coworkers before the party (the picture above is my soul sister and work BFF, Bri) for drinks and “prom photos” (the drink(s) helped me loosen up, something I always need for big social events!), and then we went to the party. Which was fun! And there was karaoke! I did not sing but was crying from laughter listening to some of my coworkers sing. It was the best. Afterward, I went back to a coworker’s apartment for a little after-party. I didn’t get home until after 3 am, which is a record for me. All in all, one of the best nights I’ve had in a seriously long time.

The high of my week was decorating for Christmas. Usually, I like to decorate the weekend after Thanksgiving, but my mom and I were in Savannah that weekend, so we finally managed to decorate on Sunday. Our tree is beautiful, our lights are strung, and sparkly garland borders our windows. I love how cozy and peaceful my apartment looks with all the decorations. I even got into the spirit at work and decorated my cubicle. A lot of the cubicles in my office are decorated, which makes for a super cozy work environment.

The low of my week was dealing with package delivery failures. I ordered a fun gift for my book club gift exchange (that’s on Tuesday, so I need it ASAP!), and I was told it was delivered to my front door, but it most certainly was not. Looks like a call to Amazon is in order. Fun times.

A podcast episode I loved was Brooke White on The Lively Show. I haven’t been listening to a ton of podcasts lately (I know… shocker for me!), and the ones I have listened to have been okay, but nothing spectacular. I listened to this episode of The Lively Show while driving up to Georgia and it was such a great one! I think I had a lump in my throat for the majority of the episode because gah, Brooke White! She has persevered through so much, and her story really touched me. She’s one of the few American Idol alums that I distinctly remember and really adore.

A blog post I loved was Shannon from Awash With Wonder’s guest post for Witty Title Here’s “Feminist to Follow” series. I am really enjoying Cassie’s “Feminist to Follow” series, and this post was especially poignant. Shannon is a beautiful writer and I love her message and how passionate she is about feminism.

But part of being human is to hope for a better world and to believe that you may play a role in making it so. Fighting for gender equality is one of the most important things we can do to make the world a better place – not just for women but also for men. 

The best money I spent was $11 for a tabletop Christmas tree and decorations for the tree from Target. I call it my “Christmukkah tree” because the tree itself is blue and the tinsel is silver so… it looks like it’s celebrating Hanukkah. It all works out in the end, right?

My plans this weekend include a low-key evening in tonight (100% chance I’ll be cozy on the couch, watching a Christmas movie or two), going to SeaWorld tomorrow (sooo flippin’ excited!), and watching the Dolphins/Patriots game at a sports bar on Sunday. I am a Dolphins fan, I will be with a Patriots fan, and I’m pretty sure the Dolphins are going to lose. I’m just going to enjoy the game. Somewhat? If I can? Oy.

What was the highlight of your week?

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?

This week I had a crazy dream. And I understand dreams are only interesting to the people who dreamed them but bear with me.

In the dream, my mom and I were staying at a house and we had just gotten word that my uncle was out of jail (side note: none of my uncles are currently in jail. Let me be clear about that!), and we both got scared he was going to try to find us. We began packing up our stuff and dressing in clothes that would hide us well (?!) and trying to scurry out of the house as soon as possible.

Well, we made it out of the house and everything seemed to be fine. Then, in a new scene (but same dream), my mom and I were at Publix, perhaps getting supplies for our furtive journey. (Who knows?!) And this time, I’m running away from a coworker and I’m terrified of her finding me. But she does and she grabs me, and I yell in her face, “YOU DO NOT HAVE THE POWER TO HURT ME.”

End dream.

And, honestly, it’s not hard to see what this dream was really about. My dad, who is currently in jail. Maybe I’m worried that, when he’s released, he’ll try to find me.  Maybe I’m worried about him because he is my dad and even though he has caused so much hurt and pain in my life, I still love him fiercely and him hurting is me hurting. Maybe this dream was my subconscious telling me to release this worry and anxiety and fear and heartache. He no longer has the power to hurt me. The sooner I relinquish this control I have over worrying about his situation, the sooner the power it’s holding over my life diminishes.

But relinquishing that power? Trying to let what happens just happen? Removing myself from the situation? That’s not an easy task at all.

The high of my week was… having a lady date with my good friend, Bri. We had dinner at the food court at Westshore Mall and then went to see Gone Girl! YOU GUYS! The movie was incredible! The acting was fantastic, the drama was outstanding, and I loved how true the movie stayed to the book. One of the best book-to-film adaptations I’ve seen in a long, long time. Whether you’ve read the book or not, I highly recommend this movie!

The low of my week was… having a little too much jibber jabber from my inner critic. Sometimes, it’s hard to stop the downward cycle of negative thoughts and feelings. I think it may be time to revisit the Fierce Love course from Stratejoy!

An article I loved was… 17 Things to Expect When You Date a Girl Who’s Used to Being On Her Own by Thought Catalog. Oh, goodness, this article really hit the nail on the head for me. I’ve been having a hard time with the dating thing because a) my standards are high and it’s hard to find someone who meets them and b) it’s really difficult dating when you’ve spent more than 26 years single. I understand being single and alone so, so, so much more than I understand being in a relationship. It’s hard for me. It’s hard to let people in, to rearrange my life, to open myself up to something different.

“6. She needs to be left alone often especially when you first start seeing each other and it should feel like she’s head over heels. Believe that she has more butterflies in her stomach than she knows what to do with, which is why she’ll need to compose herself.“

A podcast episode I loved was… Gone Girls from Stuff Mom Never Told You. This was all about sociopaths, their traits, and the pop culture phenomenon of how intrigued we are by them. My favorite part of the podcast was when one of the hosts talked about an easy quiz to give yourself to figure out if you are a sociopath. “Have you ever felt awkward anytime in your life? Congratulations! You are probably not a sociopath.” HA! Yep. Not a sociopath! (Whew!)

The best money I spent was… $11 on lunch yesterday. There was a food truck at a nearby office that was running this really cool program where you bought a meal for yourself and then a meal would be given to a child in need. It was sponsored by Metropolitan Ministries and Feeding America Tampa Bay (one of my favorite charities!), so it was fun to get out of the office with a bunch of coworkers (nearly half the office showed up!) and have lunch. And it was my first food truck experience! What what!

My plans this weekend include walking a 5K, going for a pedicure with my mom, and hopefully crossing off another adventure on my Tampa Bay Project list.

What was the highlight of your week? Any fun weekend plans?