mid-year reading recap

7 / 27 / 237 / 27 / 23

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!

life update + summer plans

6 / 21 / 23

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!

february reading roundup

2 / 28 / 23

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!

amazon home decor faves

2 / 13 / 23

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!

february goals + habits 💘

2 / 6 / 23

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!

how to fight the winter blues

1 / 31 / 23

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.

recent skincare/makeup favorites

1 / 18 / 23

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!

my top 22 books of 2022

1 / 5 / 23

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love reading, and I think 2022 was my biggest reading year ever. I didn’t even intend to read as much as I did, but I read 110 books throughout the year, and found some new favorites! I love how reading has become part of my daily routine, from finding 20 minutes to read between classes to reading a few chapters before bed. I tried to explore some new genres this year, and I read fantasy for the first time in forever. I also re-read some old favorites, some great Christian books, and found my new favorite duology! This was hard to narrow down, but today I’m sharing my 22 favorite books I read in 2022!

october recap + november goals

11 / 9 / 22

fall 2022 reading list

9 / 27 / 22

It was 55 degrees on my walk to class today, so I feel like fall is finally on its way here! I have been pretty busy with school the past few weeks and haven’t had as much time to read as I hoped, but I’m trying to be better about making more time for it! One thing that has helped me knock a few books off my list is listening to audiobooks, which I usually check out on Libby from my library for free. It’s nice to be able to have a book on in the background while driving, walking to class, or even cleaning/laundry. However, nothing compares to a physical copy of a book, and I think fall is the perfect time for cozying up with a good read! This list is a mix of thrillers, fantasy, and “dark academia” genres, which I don’t usually read. I feel like fall is the perfect time to try new genres and experiment with books that may be out of my comfort zone!

photo diary no. 4: summer recap + start of school!

9 / 22 / 22

It’s been so long since I’ve done a photo diary, but these are so fun to make! I basically just go through my photo album or VSCO and choose some of my favorite photos throughout the past few months, then give a caption about what I was up to! I feel like I’ve been so busy the past few months that this blog has been pushed to the backburner, and I haven’t really updated on my life as much as I used to. The summer seriously flew by, and now here we are almost to October… it’s insane. I was home for a few weeks in May, but I actually lived in New York all summer as a live-in nanny. I got home mid-August and had a few days with my family, and now have been in school for about five weeks now! I thought this would be a fun way to catch up on my life and share some fun pics too!

on my watchlist: tv shows and movies I want to see!

9 / 2 / 22

I’ve always loved getting sucked into a good show, but with college getting busy again and having more homework, it’s been hard to find time to watch much Netflix. I also feel like I’ve seen all the “good” shows (the popular ones) and don’t know any other shows to watch. However, last week my friend and I decided to start a show together, and it became a nightly routine to go over to her apartment, eat a quick dinner, and watch an episode or two on her cozy couch. We watched The Undoing on HBO Max, a who-done-it thriller/mystery show! There’s something so fun about watching a show with a friend, instead of just alone in my room. We would react to the show together and have a debrief after. Now that we’ve finished the season, I’ve been finding lots of other shows I want to watch, and we’re already planning our next movie night! Today I thought I’d share lots of shows and movies I want to watch, plus a few of my favorites that I’ve seen recently!

summer 2022 recap

8 / 25 / 22

Hi everyone! It’s a gloomy August day as I’m writing this, and I think it’s finally hit me that summer is over (cue tears). It honestly feels like yesterday that I moved out of my apartment and back home for the summer, I can’t believe that was almost four months ago! Summer is by far my favorite season, and I got to have so many fun experiences. I was home for about three weeks in May, but spent most of my summer in Southampton, NY as a live-in nanny! It was something super out of my comfort zone but that I’m so glad I did. Today’s post is a biggg summer recap: everything I did, what I read, and lessons I learned!

spring 2022 bucket list

4 / 6 / 22

With it warming up and spring on the way, I feel like my mood has done a complete 180. Even though I’ve been very busy and had a lot going on, I have felt so much better and in a more positive mood the past few weeks, and I know it has to do with the weather. I was so tired of walking to class in the cold, dreary rain or getting home from work and it already being dark. I love that the sun goes down later and the weather is nicer. Tulips are planted all around campus, and it seems like everything is coming alive again! I only have about four more weeks left of the spring semester, and I want to take advantage of the good weather as much as possible! I came up with some fun ideas, a sort of spring mood board, to get me inspired for the season. I want to take better care of myself, eat well and workout more, be outside as much as possible, and make time for fun. I feel like I’ve gotten so consumed with schoolwork and my usual schedule that I haven’t stopped to appreciate the weather and all the fun that comes with a new season!