I haven’t had more than a day off for the holidays in about five years so having nearly a week to spend time with family to enjoy the holiday and sit by the fire was definitely a treat for me. Time to enjoy my parents house, browsing through my favorite children’s holiday picture books, being a little lazy, time to eat lots of turkey and mashed potatoes and sleep in if I wanted, so very much needed. What are you plans for the rest of the weekend and what are you up too for New Year’s Eve?
Best Buys Of 2018
As much as I hate social media advertisements, I ended up getting this very cozy blush scarf through an ad on Instagram and I seriously love it! it’s the coziest thing I own and I love the color!
Self Care is pretty scented bubble bath, fall scented candles at a reasonable price and extra hydrating face masks, although I’m starting to wear feet and hand masks too!
I’ve been using this purse over the last year and I love it! I gets tons of compliments and it’s one of my least expensive purses, thank you Jen Gotch!
I maybe in my thirties but I still love spending my evenings writing and doodling. Calling all 90’s girls, you’ll want this must have diary!
My favorite kid’s book of the year is a no-brainer! I’ve been following Atlas Obscura for years, so when they published their kid’s version earlier this year I knew what I was gifting all the kiddos in the family!
Timeless, classic and girly smart watch.
Whether for work, heading out to run errands or dressing up for a date night - these basically are my favorite shoes ever and I wear them with everything!
Get yourself, your friends, your sister or mother these bracelets, the story behind them is pretty great!
In The New Year
Do you keep up to date with Thought Catalog? The site is about five years old and although I don't read their articles religiously, every once in awhile I'll read something that I just love and will think about for weeks. This article is fantastic and so right on. A list of 26 things every person should do for themselves at least once a year. I don't know if I will be able to accomplish all 26 as far as my 2019 resolutions but I will try. These are five things I will definitely work on. What are five really important things you want to work on from this list?
Take yourself out to dinner. Eating alone is often very calming (if you cant get past the cultural notion that should always eat with somebody, and I'm not saying you shouldn't). But eat dinner by yourself, at a restaurant, at least once. You'll see what I mean.
Visit a new city. Even if it's small and only thirty minutes away, do what you can manage. See what hole-in-the wall bars and small town diners and quirky coffee shops exist in places you wouldn't have thought to look.
Make a list of the things you value and then next to that, a list of ways you're going to make those things priorities more often. If you care more about your best friend's feelings than you do your temporary, petty frustration, prioritize that. If you care more about living peacefully with your roommate than fighting over another dirty dish, prioritize that. Decide what more to you, and how your going to resolve your issues in ways that don't interfere with them. The way you get over anything is simply to start caring about something else more.
Learn to cook something new, and then make it for somebody else. (Once you've gotten it past the point of having a questionable, 50/50-will-this-be-edible outcome.)
Rearrange your space. Even it it's just moving the TV or changing the orientation of your bed, a shift in the layout of the room you spend the most time in actually does change the way you perceive it.
Self Care Friday
Happy Friday!
What are your weekend plans? Just a few things I'll be treating myself to this weekend.
Cozying in with a puzzle, my favorite holiday romantic comedy, The Holiday and this foot mask.
Trying to finish this book for my Good Reads Challenge and completing my yearly goal of sixty books.
Now that I’m engaged, I need to drop a few pounds and get toned so I’m joining The January Challenge.
(image)
Leading Ladies
Five Things You Must Know About Alice Coltrane
1. Alice pursued music and started performing in various clubs around her home town in Detroit until moving to Paris in the late 50s. She studied classical music and jazz while in Paris, working as an intermission pianist in clubs around the city.
2. After her divorce to with Pancho Hagood, she moved back to Detroit and continued to pursue playing Jazz as a professional and met her her future husband John Coltrane.
3. After John’s death, she became more spiritual, changed her name, open the Vedantic Center in Malibu and performed for devotional Vedic ceremonies. The Ashram was eventually destroyed in the Woolsey Fire last year.
4. After a 25 year break from major public performance she returned to the stage for a few US appearances and performed for the San Francisco Jazz Festival with her son.
5. Haven’t listened to any of her music, I suggest starting with Journey in Satchidananda, it’s beyond words incredible.
(image)