August Goals
I love a good fresh start. New Years, new months…. and I think that is why I love mornings so much. My Commit30 planner enables me to make the most of a new month throughout the whole year. I’ve made August my month of “grounding”. I usually try to find one word that fits the goals I’m trying to attain. One month my word was “consistency”, another month it was “simplicity”. By attaching a word to the action goals I’ve set, it’s easy to remind myself of them on a moments notice. Whether it’s when I’m contemplating sleeping in rather than getting up to go to the gym, even though I know I still had enough sleep, I can remind myself, even in the morning fog, of that one word. I’ve been reading (well listening to on Audible) Rachel Hollis’ “Girl, Wash Your Face”. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend getting the book right this minute. The girl speaks TRUTH. I was watching her insta-stories the other day and she was drinking her smoothie and she said “I don’t want a … Read More
2018 Book Update
Summer just seems like the time of year to discuss what to read. Hopefully you’re enjoying lazy afternoons by the pool or on the porch. Maybe you’re taking a trip and need some entertainment in the car or on the plane. Oh, and then there’s beach reading! The past few years, I have set a New Year’s resolution to read 12 books (1 book per month). I haven’t hit the full 12 yet, but I’ve been in the range of 7 to 8, which I feel like is still a pretty good amount. But, this is my year. I can feel it! I’m already at 9 books and just about to finish 2 audiobooks (I think it should count….right?). These are also books I definitely recommend. But some stole my heart. If I’m not into a book by 50 – 75 pages, it’s gone. I’m not in school anymore, so reading is for pleasure only – if I don’t like, I’m finding something else. That’s also another reason I love my Kindle. I can download a sample and decide if … Read More
Camping in Shenandoah National Park
Hi Friends! Hope everyone has enjoyed their 4th of July holiday. Devin and I took a few days off for a staycation. It has been a much needed few days to relax and check a few to-do items off our list. A few weeks ago, we headed out to Shenandoah National Park. It wasn't our first time there, as we went this past fall and stayed in a beautiful cabin that overlooked the valley. Now we wanted the true National Park experience, which means camping. We're pretty lucky since the park is only a little over 2 hours outside of DC, making is very accessible for a weekend trip. Devin did some research to learn about the camping options as there are a few campgrounds located within the park. We chose Big Meadows Campground and reserved 2 nights (a Friday and Saturday). It was going to be my first time tent camping and I was pretty nervous about 2 full nights! However, once we got to our campground and saw the view, I was sold! Devin found the most perfect camp sites, which … Read More
The Comparison Trap
“Comparison is the thief of all joy.” When you hear this, what comes to mind? For me, I always thought “don’t compare yourself to anyone else.” And in this day and age of social media, and everyone’s lives being posted around us, this is oh so important. However, I think we forget that we also are guilty of internal comparison. Comparing ourselves to….ourselves. Maybe we compare our bodies to how we looked on our wedding day or pre-baby. Maybe it’s our race times or our mile splits. We seem to see the past sometimes through rose colored glasses. I think we need to be just as mindful of our ability to compare ourselves to others as our ability to measure our current reality by previous experiences. I recently turned 30 and to many this age is still very young (and I would agree with that too). However, it’s now an age where I’m conscious of aging and the passing of time. It’s also a really good time to start a practice … Read More
Living with Anxiety
Did you know that up until 1980, anxiety was not a diagnosable condition? 1980 wasn’t all that long ago! That means those who lived with anxiety weren’t able to seek treatment or understand what they were experiencing. Or in my case, being able to go to doctor to confirm “you’re not crazy”. Before I dive in, I want to be clear: I don’t want to write about anxiety in a sad, “feel sorry” for me sort of way. In fact, I want to write about it in a very uplifting, empowered way. I recently purchased “First, We Make the Beast Beautiful” by Sarah Wilson and the title alone felt like a big sigh of relief. I wanted to scream, “YES! That’s it!” Someone else understands that we don’t want pity, we don’t need people to feel sorry for us. We need someone who knows that it’s ok to feel a negative emotion, and that we are just looking for ways to manage the symptoms. Since it’s mental health awareness month, I felt it was a good time to finally write about my journey in hopes that … Read More