WEEKLY TO-DO LIST | 10.30.23

I love holiday weeks! There's just something about the days surrounding a holiday that excites me just as much (if not more) than the actual holiday itself. I think it's reminiscent of school days as a child and the anticipation of getting out for break. Those weeks leading up to break were always just a little bit different- full of anticipation and typically a little bit more lax, no? Do you have anything exciting going on for Halloween? As of now, my plan consists of a little candy, maybe a cocktail or two and a spooky movie! Other than that, it's pretty much a normal workweek with normal to-dos but I've added a few fun things in for this week too!

+MAKE SOUP - Halloween week + colder weather calls for soup! Last weekend I made tomato bisque which was so good. It's just a vibe, ya'll-- soup really is good for the soul. I used a soup mix "starter" that you just add a few ingredients too and voila, homemade soup! Super easy to do and delicious. Potato is on the menu this week! 

+FINISH HELL WEEK - Today + tomorrow are the last two days of Hell Week at Orangetheory. I'm knocking out my last day tomorrow on Halloween which I've heard is a "Trick or Treat" workout. Although tough, I surprisingly feel like all of the workouts were very manageable? I'm really glad I signed up, it's been a fun challenge. 

+SAUNA - Despite Hell Week being "manageable", how my body feels right now would suggest otherwise, LOL. I normally do one or two classes per week so I'm feeling the pain from taking four last week. I try to go to the infrared sauna once per week and I'm looking forward to this week's more than usual. My body needs it! 

+LAUNDRY//SHEETS - My weekly push to wash my sheets, lol. IYKYK. It always feels a little silly to include laundry on the list because it's always there? I've decided that you can never really catch up. I actually don't mind doing laundry or even washing my sheets, it's just the putting them on part that I hate. Because I don't love it and I WILL skip it sometimes-- I try to add it to my to-do lists so that it *might* actually get done. Lol. 

+HAIRCUT - Ya'll, I STILL haven't gotten my haircut. TBH it's shameful at this point. My hair has gotten so long that now it's starting to get in my way a little bit. It's just a little too much, lol. I want to chop off enough to make it more manageable but still keep my "long hair" identity, know what I mean? I just don't think I can dive into short short hair. It's one of those things that I just keep pushing off but I just need to make myself go. 

+CHRISTMAS TREE - Alright, I typically don't follow any rules when it comes to Christmas decorations. I've done them both before and after Thanksgiving, however normally it ends up being last minute because of my busy schedule. Because of that, this year I was thinking of just putting up my tree early (aka this week). I'm not really in the mood to decorate just yet but I would love to have the tree up, even just to enjoy the lights. 

Wishing you a Happy Hallo-week!

CHRISTMAS ROM-COMS ON MY READING LIST

As sad as I am that Halloween is this Tuesday, I'm officially ready for all things Christmas. Bring on all of the gift shopping, baking cookies and Netflix Christmas movies. I love my little holiday traditions, however one thing that I surprisingly haven't done a whole lot of is read Christmas and holiday books. Besides the random title here and there, I feel like there's an entire world of Christmas novels out there that I've been missing out on. Ya'll know just how much I love those Hallmarky rom-coms which is exactly the vibe I want in a Christmas book. Festive and feel good is definitely the way to go! I scoured Amazon + Google to look for recommendations and came up with a few that look really cute. Here are the first few I'm adding on my TBR-- also let me know any favorites or recs that you have? I'd love to read them too! 

WHAT I WANT TO READ

You can read the synopsis + shop each book by clicking on the title below: 

+Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey 

+A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

+One Day in December by Josie Silver

+The Christmas Fix by Lucy Score 

**ALL LINKS + MY FULL READING LIST HERE**

I love sharing my picks with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)

FESTIVE CHRISTMAS PAJAMAS I LOVE

Red + White Striped Satin Pajamas // Cozy Vibes Pajamas  // Red Flannel Kitty Pajamas // Candy Cane Hearts Pajamas // Harry Potter Flannel Christmas Pajamas // Green Satin Pajama Shirt + Shorts // Holiday Camper Flannel Pajamas // Fair Isle Bear PJ Pants // Green Snowflake Pajamas 

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WHAT I WANT | ALL THINGS WARM + COZY

Down Puffer Jacket // UGG Ultra Mini Boots // Nike Crewneck Sweatshirt // UGG Pom Pom Beanie // Fleece Puffer Jacket // Plaid Scarf // Cable Cardigan // Cozy Socks // Nike Sweatpants 

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DRUGSTORE ESSENTIALS HAUL

Always Pure Cotton Pads // Always Pure Cotton Overnight Pads // TheraBreath Icy Mint Mouthwash // Oral-B Satin Floss // David's Whitening Toothpaste // Differin Daily Deep Cleanser 

I needed to replenish a few beauty // personal care items this week so I have a little drugstore haul to share with you. Like with deodorant, I've been trying out a lot of different toothpastes to find a healthier alternative. One of the brands I've been excited to test out is David's. Their toothpaste is formulated with natural ingredients free of artificial flavors, preservatives, colors and sweeteners. I picked up the Whitening Peppermint which is also fluoride and sulfate free. Because everything seems to run out all at once, I also needed floss + mouthwash. I tend to avoid using mouthwash regularly, however every once in awhile I like to use it for whitening or just to do a little mouth refresh. Therabreath does a great job and is alcohol free which I appreciate. 

Alright, we're entering into TMI territory but who am I to deny you the full haul experience?? LOL. On a real note, I needed to replenish this week so here we are. I will shoutout Always for always being my go-to brand. Hehe. If you haven't tried the Infinity or Pure Cotton line, both are great. Way more comfortable and they get the job done. I'll also add that the overnight ones are a total GAME CHANGER. You seriously need to try! I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a little silly the first time trying (there's a lot going on if you know what I mean, LOL) but totally worth it. 

Last on my list is the Differin Daily Deep Sensitive Skin Cleanser with Benzoyl Peroxide. I think I mentioned this a few weeks ago but I was influenced by Dr. Dray to give this a try. It's made to be an acne face wash, however she uses it on her underarms to help prevent bacteria + odors instead of wearing deodorant. Because I've definitely had a colorful experience trying out natural deodorants, I was intrigued by this. I definitely don't plan on giving up deodorant, however I'm interested to see if this will make the natural ones more effective. Since trying out cleaner deodorants, I've also known I'm much more prone to bumps and rashes which has honestly been one of the worst parts of trying to find a cleaner deodorant. It definitely feels counterintuitive and while I haven't pinpointed exactly what causes that, I'm hoping this may help prevent it in some way. 

**SHOP ALL ITEMS ON AMAZON HERE**

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I love sharing my picks with you! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping. Pretty cool, huh? :)

FALL NAILS I LOVE

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WHAT I WANT | OCTOBER

Black Suede Ankle Booties // Armani Beauty Eyeshadow // Farmacy Honey Halo Moisturizer // Black Bodysuit // Trench Coat // Black Straight Leg Jeans // Black + Gold Leather Belt // Watch // Too Faced Mascara

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TOP 5 MOST POPULAR BLOG POSTS | OCTOBER

TGIF, you guys. Always keeping it real-- today was a whirlwind of a day that has left me tired and exhausted. I kept pondering what I should put up on the blog for you today when I remembered it was Friday the 13th! It's always a little eery when these come around, lol. Call me superstitious but weird things definitely happen... ya'll be safe out there. Being the 13th also means we're pretty much halfway through October now. I figured today would be a good day to go ahead and share the top five most popular blog post from the last month. If you're new to these posts- I always put these up around the 15th so it's really a glimpse of the end of last month + half of this month. 

1. OURA RING UNBOXING - Over the last few weeks my sleep has been out of whack. I've been staying up too late, randomly waking up in the middle of the night and just feeling extra tired. I love the data my Oura Ring gives me on my overall sleep. It captures a ton of information which always helps me to see where I can make changes and improve. Check out this post for an unboxing from when I purchased the ring + my overall experience. 

Read here: Oura Ring Unboxing

2. MY AMAZON STOREFRONT - Did you do any shopping for Prime Days this week? I ended up skipping out this time but you can always find my favorite items + everyday picks in my Amazon Storefront. This post also has some extra info on the specifics, links, etc.! 

Read here: My Amazon Storefront 

3. FALL SWEATERS I LOVE - I'm definitely in a buying mood for new fall clothes! I've been on the hunt for some good long-sleeve basics, namely sweaters. In a perfect world, one day I will have the perfect "capsule" wardrobe with go-to pieces that I can keep wearing for years and years. I'm loving all of the styles + different textures from the ones in this post! 

Read here: Fall Sweaters I Love

4. WHAT TO BUY FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST | HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE ROUND-UP - The time to start Christmas/holiday shopping for gifts is here! It's so crazy though, right? I can't believe Christmas is just a little over two months away. Lots of new gift guides will be coming to the blog in the next month or two, however this blog post from a few years ago is a complete, all-in-one guide for everyone on your list. I still recommend (and would personally buy) all of these items for gifts or myself now. There's a little bit of everything for the gals, guys, beauty lovers + more. 

Read here: Holiday Gift Guide Round-up

5. MY SEPTEMBER WELLNESS GOALS - Okay, September came and went LIKE THAT. I went through a weird July/August this year so September was a little bit of a "reset" month for me. This blog post was all about my wellness goals + getting myself in a better place mentally, physically + spiritually. I'm definitely still working on a lot of the goals, however ya'll will be happy to know that I started a new book for October, have been keeping up with my workouts + reading my Bible. I will say I'm back to slacking with healthier eating... my job is so busy this time of the year that I'm eating out more often and if we're keeping it real- just allowing myself to eat what I want. Sometimes you have to pick and choose your battles, ya know? Between that and all the fall foods, it's a toughie for sure. I was excited to see that this post was in the top five for the month, though. I went back and read through it myself which was a nice reminder of my goals + progress! 

Read here: My September Wellness Goals

What do you have going on in October? 

WHAT I'M LOVING AT LULULEMON RIGHT NOW

Long Sleeve Brown Tee // Navy Zip-up Jacket // Brown Pullover Sweatshirt // Ball Cap // Puffer Coat // Sherpa Belt Bag // Brown Leggings // Navy Leggings // Brown Sweatpants 

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I love sharing my picks with you! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping. Pretty cool, huh? :)

OCTOBER WATCH LIST

The binge-watching has begun. Last week I started The Good Witch on Netflix because it seemed like the perfect October show. I'm officially hooked now, ya'll. While it isn't a "Halloween" show, it definitely fits the bill and has all the fall vibes which I love. So far the storyline is keeping my attention and I love that there are a lot of seasons. It also wouldn't be October without watching my favorite Halloween movies this month. Always on the list for me are Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown and Ghostbusters. I grew up watching all of these on Disney so now they're my version of Halloween classics. I can appreciate a good horror film every now and then too, however feel-good is definitely my jam as an adult. I saw that Casper is on Netflix this year so I also added it on for fun.

A few movies I still haven't seen that have been on my Halloween watch list for years are Practical Magic and The Craft. I definitely love magic and witchy vibes so I think I'll enjoy these. I can also marathon any of the Harry Potter movies anytime of the year, however they definitely hit extra hard this time of the year. 

OCTOBER WATCH LIST

+ The Good Witch
+ Practical Magic
+ Harry Potter 
+ Casper
+ Ghostbusters
+ Halloweentown
+ The Craft

That's my (overly ambitious) list for this month. Realistically, I'll probably stay hooked on The Good Witch and everything else will get eighty-sixed... lol. I haven't watched any shows in a long time so it's given me something to look forward to at the end of the day. 

What are you watching this month?

HEALTHY SNACK HAUL

I love shopping at small, speciality grocery stores. In my town, we have a local shop that carries a great selection of natural food items and cleaner, less processed brands. It's always fun to browse around and find something new to try out. I'm also a big believer in shopping small + local when you can! I stopped in this week so I thought I'd share a little mini "healthy" snack haul of what I picked up. Ya'll know I love my snackies! 

Something new I grabbed that I can't wait to try are these Cinnamon Sugar Space Balls from Lesser Evil. How cute and fun, right? I'm obsessed with their popcorn (the Himalayan Gold is my fave and SO good) and I usually love anything cinnamon sugar. They remind me of those cheese puffs we all use to eat when we were kids, haha. For such simple, clean ingredients, all of the products that I've tried from them taste great. Another one my favorite snack brands is Quinn. I picked up a new bag of the Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels which I always love. The Sea Salt Pretzel Sticks are really good too if you can find them! 

Alright, let's talk bars. I'm obsessed with these Simple Mills Almond Flour Bars. They are SO good, ya'll. I've tried a couple different flavors, I like the Banana Bread best. It's nutty, a little chewy and has a great flavor. I also thought I'd give Bobo a try today, too. I've actually been really curious about the Oat Bites for the longest time but they only had these Oat Bars. I chose the PB Dark Chocolate flavor which I'm excited to try. 

Okay now I don't really consider tea itself to be a snack but 'tis the season. Maybe with an oat bar though, that could be good. Lol. Regardless, something switched on in my brain this week and I'm back in my hot beverage girl era. I love making a hot bevvy right before bed. It's a nice way to relax and unwind at the end of the day. I've also been adding in my magnesium + dream dust which I think has been making me get sleepy a lot sooner. I've been using the Traditional Medicinals Nighty Night Tea so I picked up a new box of it, the Nighty Nighty Extra and the Dandelion Chai Probiotic. 

I hope ya'll enjoyed my little mini haul. Most of these items you can find in regular grocery stores too but I'll also link everything here in my Amazon storefront. 

What's your go-to snack? 

I love sharing my picks with you! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping. Pretty cool, huh? :)

HALLOWEEN FINDS I LOVE

Skeleton Hand Mug // Pumpkin Onesie // Skull Earrings // Caramel Apple Lip Mask // Graphic Tee // In the Company of Witches Novel // Skeleton Phone Case // Halloween Panty Set // Nails 

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I love sharing my picks with you! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping. Pretty cool, huh? :)

OCTOBER TO-DO LIST [ALL THE HALLOWEEN THINGS]

It is time, witches!! October is HERE which means Halloween IS ON! Outside of Christmas, Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love everything about it- spooky vibes, decorations, candy + cool weather (if we are lucky this year!). It's the best. There's just a different feeling in the air during October, ya know? I don't know if it's nostalgic to me or what. It just has a different energy and excitement that I love. Every year I always find October flying by way too fast and feeling like I never have enough time to celebrate all of the fun Halloweeny activities. This year I'm making a little to-do list with some of the things I hope to squeeze in so that I can fully enjoy the month. 

Recipe for this yummy Halloween snack mix I made last year!

OCTOBER TO-DO LIST [ALL THE HALLOWEEN THINGS]

+WATCH HALLOWEEN MOVIES - What is October without Halloween movies? Every year I try to squeeze in all my faves: Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, Ghostbusters... maybe a Harry Potter marathon? I love all of the classics. I also still haven't seen Practical Magic which I NEED to watch. It's been on my list for what feels like years at this point. What are some of your favorite Halloween/fall movies? I'd love to watch as many as I can! 

+READ FESTIVE BOOKS - Placing my order ASAP for In the Company of Witches and maybe The Ex Hex? I'm definitely in the mood to read some fun, witchy books this month. 

+MAKE A SNACK MIX - Last year I made this yummy, viral sweet + salty snack mix on Halloween which everyone loved. I always love a good pretzel, candy + Bugle type of combo. It's a fun little activity + snack that feels festive and is super easy to make. 

+ORANGETHEORY HELL WEEK - If you're an OTF member, you've definitely heard of "Hell Week." It's a challenge at Orangetheory that takes place every year during the last week of October. It's eight high-intensity workouts that are suppose to be a notch above the regular workouts. I've never participated before but I *think* I'm excited to sign up this year? I don't know whether to be excited for afraid, ya'll pray for me. Lol. You have to complete at least four of the eight workouts during the week but since I'm already planning on being there, why not? In my own mind, it feels like a Halloween vibe and activity which I'm all for. 

+HAVE A DRINK - The MO for "have a drink" is to find a fun, Halloween cocktail this month. A lot of restaurants + bars do themed drinks for every holiday so I'm definitely down for a fun, spooky drink. I definitely limit my alcohol intake for the sake of health, however I will indulge every once in awhile. 

+HALLOWEEN LIGHTS - I'm starting to see Halloween decorations pop up all around town which I love. I always drive around to look at Christmas lights in December, however I don't usually do the same for Halloween. It's usually just if I happen to see them while driving by. This year I want to make an activity out of driving around and looking at decorations. It's so much fun seeing how everyone decorates and what kind of style they have. I love both the spooky + traditional Halloween vibes. The other night I drove by someone's house and the entire front porch was wrapped in all orange lights. It looked SO cool! I can't wait to go all out when I own a home one day. 

Is there anything else I should add to the list? 

I love sharing my life with you! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping. Pretty cool, huh? :)