Tag: family

2021: Third Quarter Goals Recap

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I’m having a really hard time believing that it’s officially fourth quarter. Fall used to be my favorite season but now it marks the beginning of our “busy season” and I always want to rush to the new year. This year I want to really stop and enjoy myself instead of rushing through the rest of the year.

Before I set my goals for fourth quarter, here’s a quick recap of my Q3 goals.

  1. Be kind to myself. When I’m going through something hard I tend to be really hard on myself too. I’ve noticed this especially when it comes job. I’m never good enough or doing enough. I’ve been trying really hard to be kind to myself and give myself grace. I feel like I did okay at this but I want to still focus on doing better at it.
  2. Setup health appointments. This has been such a fun goal that I set for myself. I’ve been poked and prodded so much this last quarter with even more to come. But I feel good knowing that I’m taking steps in the right direction for my health.
  3. Spend time with friends and family. I didn’t do great at this to be perfectly honest. I did spend some time with family but I’ve realized that I don’t really have any friends to spend time with and that’s been weird to figure out. I do have friends but we don’t live close so it’s hard to spend time together. I have been trying to check in with them more at least!
  4. Celebrate 10 years with Brett. We had a nice long weekend in a nearby beach town to celebrate our anniversary. It’s still hard to not see Brett the majority of the week due to our work schedules but I’m hopeful that will change soon!
  5. Read 3 books. I read several books and it was so nice! I go through phases of not reading much and then phases of reading constantly. There’s something so relaxing to me to be able to spend a few minutes each day reading a book and getting my mind off of the real world. Have you read any good books lately? I need some recommendations for Q4!

I’m currently working on my goals for Q4 and should have them posted soon. I keep looking back at my old posts and I’m really glad that I’ve captured so many of these quarterly goals. It’s easy to sit back and think that I haven’t really accomplished anything over the past few years but these posts remind me of just how far I have come.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

2020: Fourth Quarter Goals Recap

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Happy New Year, friends! I’m sure that we are all hoping that 2021 treats us better than 2020.

It’s time for me to wrap up my 2020 quarterly goals! I loved doing quarterly goals again this year and look forward to setting new ones in January. Setting these shorter term goals helps me stay motivated and get things done! My 2020 goals looked much different than I originally anticipated but I’m still happy with the progress I was able to make.

Here’s a quick look back at Q4.

  1. Be intentional about spending time with family. With Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years it was important to find ways to spend time with family while social distancing. My sister and her husband were able to come home for Christmas which was amazing and we had a bonfire to celebrate Christmas with my mom’s family.
  2. Create a new holiday tradition with Brett. This was our 10th Christmas together and we decided to open presents with just each other this year. Usually we open presents at my parent’s house Christmas morning or with Brett’s family later that afternoon. This year we opened presents Christmas night with just the two of us and it felt really special.
  3. Schedule my remaining annual and semi-annual health appointments. I wasn’t able to get into the dentist but I went to the Neurologist, eye doctor, and my PCP. I’ll go to the dentist in Q1 of 2021 and have some other appointments scheduled which is always fun.
  4. Save 50% of my holiday bonus for 2021 house projects. I am so grateful that my company was able to pay a bonus this year after all of the uncertainty of 2020. We put aside 50% of my bonus already to use for house projects and I’m really excited! I also made sure to make an additional 401k contribution which is something that I try to do every year.
  5. Stick to my current health/wellness routine. I did pretty good with meal prepping and drinking water. I spent less time outside as it got colder and work got busier. I did get an elliptical so I was able to do some at home workouts.

2020 wasn’t what I was expecting or hoping for but I learned a lot and was really able to grow.

Here’s a look back at my 2020 goals: Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4

Were you able to complete any of your 2020 goals/resolutions? Are you setting any for 2021?

Photo by Adam Chang on Unsplash

2020: Fourth Quarter Goals

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At the beginning of 2020 I was super motivated to make some lifestyle changes. I wanted to use this year to prepare myself for the next chapter of my life which might include motherhood. COVID forced me to slow down and spend some much needed time working on my mental health and my relationship with my husband. This year might not have gone according to plan but it wasn’t a complete waste of time.

To finish the year strong, here are my 4th quarter goals:

  1. Be intentional about spending time with family. We’ve had to be creative in order to spend time with family and friends this year due to social distancing. I’ve still been able to spend quality time with the people that I love and I don’t want that to change because of the colder weather.
  2. Create a new holiday tradition with Brett. We love the Christmas season but this year many of our normal traditions most likely won’t be happening so we will have to create a new tradition together.
  3. Schedule my remaining annual and semi-annual health appointments. Dentist, PCP, and Neurologist. It’s going to be a busy 3 months with all these appointments but I will be glad to have them checked off my list for awhile.
  4. Save 50% of my holiday bonus for 2021 house projects. My company is super generous and always has a year-end bonus for employees. If we have one this year I want to save at least 50% of it for future house projects!
  5. Stick to my current health/wellness routine. This includes past quarterly goals of spending time outside, meal planning/prepping, and monitoring my water intake.

We are almost done with this crazy, unpredicatable year. Who knows what 2021 will be like but let’s finish this year strong!

Do you have any goals you want to complete before the end of the year?

Photo by Maddy Baker on Unsplash

Five on Friday #22

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Happy Friday, friends!

This week was a bit of a cluster for me but I’m trying to just enjoy everything right now. I am so glad that Tax season is over though. How was your week?

  1. My sister is in town for a few more days visiting from New Hampshire. I am so happy to have her here even if it’s just for a short visit. We don’t get to see each other all that often anymore so I really value all of the time I get with her.
  2. I have been loving the TULA Acne Clearing + Tone Correcting Gel lately! I bought it in a FabFitFun sale because I had heard good reviews and I was looking for an alternative for the Murad Acne Clarifying Solution. I love the Murad product but I ran out and was ready to try something new. This is my first TULA product and I’m actually really impressed! Have you tried any new skincare products recently?
  3. I’m taking a certification class the last week of July. It’s a three year program and this is my first year so I’m still super nervous. My class supplies arrived yesterday so I’m going to start to get everything organized and ready. I feel like I’m back in college again!
  4. I used to have an Instagram for my blog but when I quit blogging I switched to just having a personal Instagram. I’m thinking about starting to use my blog Instagram again. Do you have both a blog and a personal Instagram?
  5. Speaking of my sister, we recently discovered Beanitos Hint of Lime tortilla chips and they are so good! We both love the regular lime tortilla chips but these are way more flavorful. Super random but delicious!

My dad’s birthday is on Sunday so we will be celebrating with him. I don’t really have any other weekend plans though. I really want to get some sleep because I’ve been super tired this week.

What are your plans for this weekend?

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Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

Five on Friday #16

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It’s finally Friday!

This four day week went by way too slowly. Brett and I were both sick last week so we used our three day weekend to watch movies, hang out at home, and cuddle our fur babies. It was a much needed relaxing weekend! We were actually planning on catching a flight out of our local airport and flying somewhere spontaneous. I’m sad we missed our chance for an adventure weekend but I’m glad we didn’t risk it when we were feeling sick.

I haven’t done a Five on Friday since September so without further ado, here are five random thoughts for your Friday morning!

  1. I have the worst under-eye bags and have been in desperate need of a new eye cream. I bought this one from Burt’s Bees in November and have been loving it! I actually bought it for my mom and sister for Christmas to share the love.
  2. Brett and I have been watching Boy Meets World on Disney+. I watched Boy Meets World growing up but it was mostly the later seasons. I’ve loved getting to see every episode and it’s been fun to spend some quality time with my husband watching a new episode every night!
  3. This weekend I’m planning to spend tons of quality time with my family. Tonight we are going to dinner for my cousin’s 10th birthday, tomorrow morning I’m going to my grandma’s house for a game morning with my cousins, aunts, and mom, and after that Brett and I are heading to his sister’s house to babysit our nieces. What are your weekend plans?
  4. I really want to get some new work clothes. My role has been changing over the past couple of months and I need some more business professional clothes. We are pretty casual at work but I have some cool opportunities coming up where I’ll need to be a bit more dressy. Let me know if you have any recommendations on where I can buy work clothes!
  5. I know I said that I need new clothes but I’m really trying to go through all of my belongings and get rid of what I no longer need. We have a pretty small house and I’m tired of the clutter! I’m looking forward to organizing and re-decorating over the next couple of weeks.

I hope you have a great Friday and a fun weekend!

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Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

 

2019: Third Quarter Goals Recap

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Happy Monday, friends!

Third quarter flew by so quickly! I think September was the quickest month of the year for me. I blinked and it was almost October! Here’s a quick recap of my third quarter goals to see how I did.

  1. Enjoy summer! Summer goes by so quickly and I was determined to enjoy every minute of it. I really stepped back from air shows this summer and was able to spend more time with my family and friends. I’m giving myself an A+ on this one!
  2. Continue my health and fitness journey. I’m actually really proud of myself for sticking to this goal! I have lost 15 pounds this summer and I’m determined to keep going. This goal is not about the number on the scale for me because I know that’s a terrible mindset for me personally. My goal is to feel better in my body and be the very best that I can be.
  3. Create a blogging schedule/calendar. Q3 was a great quarter for blogging! I created a blogging schedule (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) and mostly stuck with it! I messed up two weeks out of the quarter but I feel really good about how far I’ve come. I’m still flexible about my schedule if I want to write something different than I originally planned though.
  4. Spend as much time with my sister as possible. Dani and I had a great couple of months together this summer. It’s always so nice to have her home with us! I miss her so much now that she’s living in New Hampshire but I’m incredibly proud of her! I’m looking forward to visiting her and for many sister adventures to come!
  5. Create a work space at home. I got a little side tracked from this goal. My desk is in our basement family room right now and I really want to paint it and move it to our 2nd floor bedroom. I decided to re-do the basement storage room first so that I can completely clean and organize the basement, move/paint my desk, and have a super tidy house. I’ll continue to work on this in Q4!
  6. Read 3 books and write book reviews. I straight up failed at writing book reviews but I did read 3 books so I’ll give myself a 50%. I read some pretty good books and do have a review coming soon for The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren. I was busy this quarter and wasn’t inspired to write book reviews. Oh well!

How was third quarter for you? Will you be setting any goals for the last 3 months of 2019?

You can read my quarter goals here: Q1, Q2, Q3

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Image via Unsplash

How I Handle the “Real World” & Blogging

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Most people in my “real” life don’t know that I have a blog. It’s not something that I really advertise because I don’t want to answer questions or have people that I know read my blog. Most of the time what I’m posting about is really personal. I share my feelings, views, and opinions without having to worry about too much backlash but I often wonder what would happen if my family, friends, and acquaintances were reading.

I used to share the link to my blog on Facebook and Instagram so it’s not exactly a secret. My Instagram is weird because I post about my blog on stories but not really on the main feed. I’m so weird about it because so many of my “real life” friends and family follow me on Instagram.

All of this weirdness stems from me being an awkward introvert. I have such a hard time talking about my personal feelings in real life and become super awkward and change the subject ASAP.

I guess the truth is that I’m still trying to figure out how to balance blogging and my personal life. Blogging is something that I’m passionate about but I don’t know how I would feel if everyone knew about and read my blog.

How do you handle blogging?

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Photo by Anete Lūsiņa on Unsplash

 

 

Five on Friday #14

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Happy Friday! Here’s another list of five random thoughts for your Friday morning! I hope you have a great workday and relaxing weekend!

  1. I found a great Labor Day sale for the Fall FabFitFun box! I’ve wanted to try FabFitFun for awhile now and this seemed like the perfect time. I’ve heard that the fall box isn’t the best but I’m still looking forward to it! Have you tried FabFitFun? Do you think it’s worth getting an annual subscription?
  2. I finally joined the Taylor Swift Lover bandwagon. I loved Taylor back in the day when she was a country singer with super relatable lyrics but as she’s gotten trendier it’s been harder for me to relate to her music. I was apprehensive about Lover but it was all over social media and I got hooked! Every single song is amazing, in my opinion!
  3. When I graduated from high school in 2012 I bought a laptop and have been using it ever since. I really want to upgrade to a MacBook Air so I’ve been saving up. Do you have a MacBook? If you do, do you think they are worth the investment?
  4. I got my fall decorations out yesterday after work and I can’t wait to start decorating! Fall and Christmas are my two favorite to decorate for. My house just feels so cozy!
  5. This weekend I’m going to my grandparent’s house to meet my cousin’s new baby girl. My dad is making ribs and we are going to work on painting my parent’s guest bedrooms. Brett has an airshow this weekend but I just don’t think I’ll have the time or energy to go with him. He really likes it when I go to airshows with him but it’s hard on me. It’s been a really bad headache week and I just need to have a slower paced weekend.

Do you have any plans this weekend?

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Photo by Ostap Senyuk on Unsplash

August According to my iPhone

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August is one of my favorite months! This August felt particularly busy but in a good way! Last summer I was overwhelmed and felt drained because of how busy our summer was. This year I feel good and I know that I’ve been able to enjoy my summer for the first time in years.

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My sister, Dani, was in Michigan for July and some of August. She moved to New Hampshire a couple of weeks ago and I miss her already! Her dog, Callie, had a great few weeks with Oscar and Bruno. Their friendships are so sweet!

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My sister-in-law and her husband took newborn pictures of their twin girls at our house. This is a behind the scenes look at one of the photo setups. Ava is in the dark pink and Elizabeth is in the light pink. I’m obsessed with them!

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We went to a baseball game with some of our friends for our city’s local baseball team. The tickets, drinks, and food were all free! We had a great time and I enjoyed it even though I know practically nothing about baseball.

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We had a 4:01 work party a couple of weeks ago with drinks, snacks, and games. It’s nice to just relax for a bit after a crazy work week.

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My dad texted me one day that he had made me a flag. It was a super random text and I was like “okay, thanks” and had no idea what to expect. I went over to my parent’s house and he showed me this flag that he made out of an old pallet. He must have been bored but I love anything my dad makes me! He hung it on our fence and I think it’s really cute!

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We went to Chicago for the Air and Water show with one of our friends. The weather was terrible! At one point we had to leave and find shelter because it was rainy and stormy. But Brett was happy because he got to see the Royal Air Force Red Arrows. After the air show we met a couple other friends who live in Chicago for pizza and drinks before heading home.

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Brett and Oscar taking an afternoon nap! Love them ❤

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I had dinner with my grandparents twice in one week and it was so nice! I appreciate every second I get with them.

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On August 19th we celebrated 2 years of marriage and 8 total years together by having a day date to the beach. It was so nice!

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I’m working on re-organizing and decorating our upstairs guest room. Oscar and Lucy love being able to play on the stairs! Usually the door to the upstairs is closed so they aren’t able to go up and explore.

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Last weekend we had our local balloon festival! I had a great time with Brett and friends doing fall things at a farm and seeing all of the hot air balloons. I definitely recommend going to a balloon festival if you have the chance!

I’m looking forward to this three day weekend that starts in a few hours! Brett and I have big plans and I’m looking forward to sharing them next week.

Also, I usually don’t show many pictures of myself on here because of body image issues and such. But I’m trying to get better about showing my face more! Do you have a hard time posting pictures of yourself on the internet? Sometimes I feel like the only one who has this problem!

How was your August? Do you have any big plans for Labor Day weekend?

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Weekend Recap: Hot Air Balloon Festival

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This past weekend was super busy for our family. Brett is involved with all of our local airshows and balloon festivals. He is a third generation aviation fanatic so the love of all things aviation runs deep.

Our local balloon festival was Friday-Sunday and Brett and I work on the media team doing Facebook and Instagram. The location of the festival is at a farm which is very close to where I grew up.The farm has apple orchards, pumpkin patches, a corn maze, farm animals, homemade donuts and cider, and every other fall activity imaginable. I went there every year growing up so it makes it even more special to be involved as an adult.

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Friday after work we headed to the farm for the first balloon flight and balloon glow. This was a balloon competition so each flight the pilots had bags to throw from their balloons to try to reach a target.

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We decided to sleep in on Saturday morning and do chores before heading to the farm. There was a car show from 11-2 so my dad, Brett, and our friend headed there. My mom and I stayed at my parent’s house and did some work. My parents are officially empty nesters so we are working on turning the two extra bedrooms into guest rooms. We also want to paint the whole upstairs and turn the basement into a family room area.

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Saturday night we headed to the farm for the balloon flight and glow. We met up with some friends and had cider and donuts. It felt like fall which made me excited for the months ahead!

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The Sunday morning flight was cancelled due to weather so we stayed home and did the rest of our chores and went grocery shopping. We took Oscar to my parent’s in the afternoon for a little play date and then my parent’s and a couple of our friends came over for dinner.

We had a great weekend! It felt like the beginning of fall in Michigan. I’m sad that summer is practically over but I’m ready for all the fall things!

How was your weekend?

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