mid-year reading recap

Hi everyone! I originally saw this idea on YouTube, where a lot of book/reading channels were doing a video reviewing some of the favorite books of the year and answering questions about different categories of books. If you know me, you know I’m a big reader, and this year I’ve been trying to expand my reading genres and branch out with my reading. I haven’t read quite as many as last year (so far at least), but I’ve definitely still read some great books, and I’m excited to go through and recap some of my favorites. The mid-year book recap answers a few questions about different books and ends with some books I’m excited to read before the year is over. I’ve read 58 so far, and my goal is 75, which I feel like I’ll probably surpass by December!

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life update + summer plans

It’s been a minute! I blinked and it’s somehow almost July- this year is flying by! I haven’t posted since April, and quite a bit has happened since then. I finished exams, graduated college, packed up my apartment and moved back to Oxford, went on a few trips, and got a job- a busy two months to say the least! Summer is no doubt my favorite season, and I’ve been loving being done with school and having a bit of a slower pace the past few weeks. Trying to soak it all up the next few days, because I actually leave to nanny next Wednesday! I nannied last summer in Southampton, and this summer I will be up north again- in Connecticut and Nantucket. I kind of decided to nanny last minute, but I’m so thankful for the opportunity to travel a bit and live in a new place!

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recent health + wellness habits

For the past month or two, I feel like I’ve been really consistent with my routines and been better at keeping up with healthy habits. I am someone who thrives off of a routine and plan, and I feel my best when I follow a few healthy habits and have structure to my day. I have tried so many different “health practices,” whether it’s different workout styles, ways of eating, morning routines/wakeup times, supplements, etc. I definitely don’t have it all figured out by any means, but the recent products + habits I’ve been keeping up with have really made a difference! I feel like the biggest thing that has helped me is consistency and doing my best to keep up with my healthy routines, even if I don’t always feel like it. Balance is important, but I find that I crave getting back on track with these habits after a few days without them!

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march recap + april goals

Howwwww is it April? March was the fastest month of the year so far, I blinked and it was over. It was also probably my favorite month so far, filled with lots of fun memories and my spring break trip! This is my last full month at school before graduation prep, and it still hasn’t hit me that I’m about to be done. I’m trying to soak it all up and enjoy my last five weeks at school, but I’m definitely feeling the stress of finding a job and figuring out what’s next. I really want to make April a month of prioritizing fun and making memories, not stressing so much and feeling too overwhelmed!

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spain photo diary

Spring break was about a week ago now, but I’ve been wanting to write this post and share some photos from my trip! I got the chance to study abroad in Seville, Spain, for the week, and it was such an awesome experience. I was super nervous to go, because I didn’t know many people on the trip and didn’t know what to expect, but I’m really glad I went. I was gone for about ten days total, with lots of long travel days, and we did so much exploring around the city! It was a mix of class lectures in the morning, tours and excursions in the afternoon, and lots of yummy dinners and a night activities. It was a pretty big group that went- 60 students- and I got to meet some new friends as well! This post is a big photo dump of some of my favorite sights/memories from the trip, enjoy!

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recent favorites + link roundup

Happy Thursday! Today was my last day of classes before spring break, and I’m heading to the airport tomorrow for my trip to Spain! I’m studying abroad for a week in Seville, and I’m nervous and excited all in one. I never usually go on any big trip over spring break, so I think it’s going to be really fun for my senior year. Today’s post is a big roundup of all my recent favorites from the past few months. Some of these are Christmas gifts, Amazon finds, random food favorites, and more! I always love reading what other people are loving recently, so this was so fun to write.

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february reading roundup

How is February over? Even though it’s just a few days shorter than other months, it always flies by. I feel like I’m finally in a routine back at school and have gotten into a groove with my classes and extracurricular work. The first week or so of February was super cold and rainy, but it’s actually been warm and sunny for the past few weeks now! I’m hoping the sunshine is here to stay, because it’s been so nice to walk around campus in shorts and a t-shirt. It makes me excited for spring and for everything to start blooming again. I actually read a lot this month, both physical books and audiobooks. I read a mix of nonfiction, Christian, dark academia, and fantasy- definitely switching it up from my usual genres!

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photo diary no. 5

Long time, no photo dump! I realized the last time I wrote one of these was September, so there were so many photos to sift through and choose from. I really need to be better at doing them every month or two so it’s not like a hundred pictures every time, haha. I’ve done a few of these in the past, but basically I go through my VSCO and pick out some of my favorite photos from the past few months that sum up what I’ve been up to. Looking back, I think senior year of college has been my favorite so far. I just finally feel rooted and comfortable here at school and have made some good friends, which I’m so thankful for! Catching up since October, so enjoy some flashbacks!

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amazon home decor faves

Happy Monday! My weekend flew by, but it was a really fun one here in Starkville. I went to a college retreat with my church here, so Friday and Saturday were filled with worship/teaching sessions, games, and lots of quality time with friends. We had different activities each night, and Saturday I played pickleball for the first time! Very late to the game, I know. But now I’m obsessed and can’t wait to play again. I’m so ready for spring and warm weather for lots of outdoor activities! On a different note, I’ve been saving so many home decor items to my Amazon list recently. I’m starting to realize that I have basically no furniture or new decor, because I’ve used the same stuff since freshman year.  I’ve been finding so many cute (and pretty reasonably priced) items online, and now I’m excited to decorate a new apartment after I graduate!

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february goals + habits 💘

Here we are already a week into February, and 2023 is flying by! I always set big goals and intentions for January, but I feel like the last few weeks of the month I started to slack off and neglect my habits. It was hard transitioning back to school from being home for winter break, and I really want to get into a good routine! This will be my first full month back in classes, and my main goal is to set up a good morning routine that I look forward to and makes me feel good afterwards. It’s always hard at first, but I know being consistent with waking up early and working out will be so beneficial for me. I’ve been trying to stay consistent with my habits through a habit tracker, and I definitely feel more inclined to do the small things each day when I know I have to check it off each night!

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how to fight the winter blues

It’s a freezing cold, rainy day as I type this, and I’m wishing for summer more than ever. I’m definitely a warm weather girl, and winter hits me hard every year. I think I overlooked the cold when I was home for winter break, because it was the holidays and cozy and not ~too~ cold yet. But being back at school for spring semester, the past few weeks have been very cold and gloomy and I’ve been very uninspired. I was so motivated when I wrote out my 2023 goals, and the first few weeks of January I felt like I was on my grind. But the past few weeks I’ve definitely found myself slipping and feeling really lazy, and I think it has a lot to do with the weather. I really want to pull myself out of this little rut and re-motivate myself, and that really comes down to discipline and not letting the weather affect me so much! Today’s post is a roundup of things I do/am trying to do this winter to stay inspired and happy in the cold winter months.

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graduation dress roundup

This morning I applied for graduation… what?!? I graduate college in May, which is just insane to me. I still don’t think it’s fully hit me that this is my last semester, because I still feel like I’m a sophomore in my head, haha. I just had my first week of classes of spring semester, and I’m really looking forward to the next few months! I always enjoy spring semester, with the weather starting to warm up, baseball games, and new classes. I just want to make the most of it and soak it all up! I need to schedule senior pictures soon, and I know people usually wear white dresses for pictures/the graduation ceremony. I found so many cute dresses on Revolve that I’m trying to decide between- all for under $100!

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recent skincare/makeup favorites

I never used to really be into skincare, and I just washed my face with water in the shower or some random face wash from years ago. But over the past few months, I’ve really gotten into trying new skincare and makeup products, and I love having a morning and night skincare routine each day! I’m still no skincare expert by any means, but I like to find products with simple ingredients that are gentle on my face. I also have so many more items on my wishlist that I’ve heard good things about and want to try in the future!

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2023 goals + intentions

I know I’m over a week late with this post, but I always love reflecting on my goals and having these posts to look back on! It’s still crazy to me that we are in 2023, I feel like last year flew by. I finished up my junior year of college, went on a family trip to the mountains, nannied in New York all summer, started my senior year and a new internship, and finished my capstone class- it was a big year! I have a feeling 2023 will be even more exciting tho. I’m studying abroad over spring break, graduating in May, and (hopefully) finding a job and moving to a new city…scary but exciting at the same time. I always like the idea of a new year and a fresh start, and I’ve been trying to stay motivated to start new habits and add some new lifestyle changes. Read on for some of my top goals of the year!

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