WEEKEND PLANS | 7.21.23

Helloooooo, Friday. How has your week been going? I've been slowly getting back into my routines and back on my sh*t this week. I've been back in one of those down and out periods where I've just been feeling a little mentally and physically tapped. Now that things seem to be getting back to normal, I'm trying to play catch up on life, lol. I figured while I'm feeling good, I'd better tackle some of my to-do list. I still fully plan to relax and veg out this weekend but here are some errands + plans I have: 

+ORANGETHEORY - Since taking two weeks off from working out, I've gotten behind on my classes. My OTF cycle starts over next week so booking at least one class this weekend is a non-negotiable. Are you a weekday or weekend gym goer? Normally I stick to during the week but I actually don't mind Saturday AM classes. During the week I do the 2G circuit but I like adding in LIFT 45 on the weekend. 

+BIRTHDAY SHOP - My mom's birthday is coming up on Monday which means I have to get shopping. Nothing like the last minute, huh? I don't normally wait this long to start shopping but with everything going on, it's just snuck up on me. Keep your fingers crossed I find some good stuff! 

+NAILS & HAIR - I'm forcing myself to deal with both my nails + hair this weekend. I'm way overdue for both a haircut and a mani/pedi. Do you usually do your own nails or go get them done? Getting them done is a love/hate for me because I beat them up fast. On the flip side, when I do them they look worst AND get messed up even faster. Lol. I can paint them but I'd love to learn how to apply my own acrylics + make them last. Would love some tips/tricks if you have them!

+KAYAKING - JJ is finally starting to get a few days off again (anyone else's bf work all the time??) so I think we may go kayaking on Sunday. I'm definitely NOT the outdoor adventure girly but it could be fun? The only time I've ever been kayaking was on a camping trip in 7th grade... I almost got hit by a boat, ya'll. Pray for me! :p 

+FINISH BOOK - I've totally dropped the ball on reading again, too. I haven't really been in the mood to read lately but I am excited to get back into my book. I've been loving Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister and would love to finish it soon. Highly recommend checking it out if you like thrillers + suspense! 

What are you up to this weekend?

WELLNESS WEEKEND | 4.21.23

Food for the soul -- one bright spot in this crazy week. It's the little things, lol.

Helllllo Friday. I am waving my white flag today, ya’ll. It’s just been one of those weeks so I'm happily welcoming this weekend and a little extra r&r. I don’t know about you but most of my days are on the go. Cliche, but there's always something to get done or somewhere to be. I don’t take a lot of time to “just be” or always prioritize relaxing. Even during my off times, I always seem to have a million other things to get done. While I love being productive and feeling accomplished, sometimes I just need to slow down. Sit still. It’s important to be intentional with your time and still take care of yourself in the midst of the day-to-day.

After this week, that’s the plan for this weekend! I’m excited to rest, take it slow and do more fun things. Not my typical "wellness" agenda, but I think giving yourself both a physical + mental break counts!

Here’s my little “weekend wellness” to-do/plan:

+MOVIES - Last night I just needed to watch a cute movie. Something lighthearted + romancey to check out from the world, social media, Tik-Tok, etc. I found a cute one on Netflix and it was just so to just fully dive into the movie. I think Tik-Tok especially has ruined most of our attention spans when it comes to entertainment but once I get into a movie/show, I'm invested and forget about everything else. It's honestly the best. I loved it so much, I'm crossing my fingers I can squeeze in a few more this weekend. Movies are one of those things I always want to watch but have to prioritize or I won't watch them. It's on for this weekend!

+READ - Right alongside the movies are books, lol. My reading slump drama is old news at this point but I've been (slowly) reading Green Lights by Matthew McConaughey. I usually only read at night which is hard when I'm tired so I've been pushing myself to just read at least 1-2 pages a day. I've been really enjoying the book so far too so sitting down and reading this weekend sounds like a good plan. Like movies/shows, books are also a great way to escape the real world when you need to. 

+SKATE - I shared in a post from a few weeks ago that I've started roller skating, haha! This one definitely came out of left field but I'll link the blog post here if you want to read more (and see my new skates!). I've been practicing a little bit every few days and it's so much fun, ya'll. I also can tell I'm getting more comfortable (and hopefully more stable, lol) which has actually been really cool. I think the older you get, the more you just write off doing certain things but it's never too late to start or learn! It's also great exercise so maybe I'll tone it up a bit too! 

+SWEET TREATS - This is probably my emotions/PMS talking but I'm in the mood to make something yummy for a treat. I love dessert and sugar ALWAYS (definitely a love/hate relationship!) but it's been a long time since I've made a dessert from scratch. Lately I've been seeing carrot cake + banana pudding all over IG which I die for. I also LOVE the good ole chocolate eclair dessert/cake that is more assembling than it is making but it's so good.  

+CLOSET ORGANIZATION - Alright this one is a little bit of an "I want" and an "I need" to do. My bedroom and closet are always a mess, one issue being I have more shoes than I do space. I ended up buying these shoe racks which I hope will give me more space + organization in my closet. I've been putting off putting them together (lol) but it seems like a fun little project. It also would *technically* help me clean up a bit which isn't the most relaxing but ultimately makes me feel better mentally (once it's done, HAH). We'll see! 

That's as far as the list goes today, ya'll. I think the moral of the story here is that I just want to do some of my favorite things, haha. Something to boost those serotonin levels, ya know? I always believe the "bad" moments are necessary to remind you to embrace and be grateful for the good ones, however we could all use a little more of what we love more often too. 

What are your plans this weekend? 

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? :)

WEEKEND PLANS | 11.18.22

After the crazy week it's been, I'm SO ready for the weekend. Us retail workers are officially in the holiday trenches. IYKYK, lol. Strangely enough the weeks feel like they've been flying by but are also feeling so long to me. Does that make any sense? Even Monday feels like it was ages ago. Typically when it's busy busy, the time passes by faster than when it's slow. I think now at work we're at the level of busy where there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done. The count down is on for Black Friday weekend so it's go go go! 

On top of that, I'm trying my best to embrace the holidays and enjoy the time while it's here. This weekend is still a work weekend, however I'm going to try + prioritize some fun things too. Here's what's on my list! 

+ ORANGETHEORY - I still have two classes left this month at Orangetheory so my goal is to squeeze them in by this weekend + Tuesday. I know that as next week goes on, all bets will be off. I already feel like I'll have to push myself to go to a class tomorrow or Sunday so next weekend will be a definite no-go. I've been enjoying both the regular class + weightlifting so I may try to schedule one of each. 

+ CHRISTMAS MOVIES - I started Netflix Christmas this week!! So far I've watched Falling For Christmas and A Christmas Prince which I loved! Both were really cute but my favorite is definitely A Christmas Prince. I also found out that it's a three-part series so now I can't wait to watch the other two. Crossing my fingers I can watch at least one of them this weekend, maybe even both! 

+ WORK - No rest for the weary this weekend. I always work a half day on Saturdays + also have to go in for a little while this Sunday. We're closed on Sundays so we should have a productive day restocking + shifting the store around in preparation for the upcoming week! 

+ PUT THE TREE UP - I have my silver tinsel tree up but I'm hoping to also get my main tree up this weekend. A lot of the time I don't get it up (or even decorated) until right before Christmas. I'm trying to stay on top of it this year so I have more time to really enjoy it.

What are you up to this weekend?

WEEKEND TO-DO LIST

Happy Weekend, you guys. We made it through another week! I'm starting to catch the Fall vibes over here. I can tell the weather's cooling down + things are getting breezy. Definitely puts me in the mood. My summer has gone by SO fast this year but I'm not complaining... ;) Last weekend JJ and I had our first Sundate together in months. He's been working almost every weekend for what feels like the past year, lol. We had brunch, watched a movie, relaxed + went to our local version of Dave & Buster's! I haven't played games at an arcade in years but we had a great time. Definitely a fun date idea. 

I'm not sure what our plans our for this weekend but I thought I'd share some of my random "fun" to-do list with you. Besides working Saturday afternoon, I plan to relax + take it easy for most of the weekend. I'm working on embracing and enjoying my free time more by not dwelling on what else I should or could be doing. 

+ FALL BLOG CONTENT - One of my objectives for this weekend + the following weeks is to start planning out my Fall posts for this year. Fall is my favorite season so I can't wait to dive in! What kind of posts would you like to see on the blog? I always try to do a mix of my normal fashion + lifestyle posts with food content, activities, etc. Please share your thoughts! 

+ ONLINE SHOPPING - It's shop girl season over here right now. I've been in such a spendy mood lately so at this point I'm just embracing it, ya know? If you're feeling shoppy too and need any inspo, check out the homepage for some good picks! I've shared my favorite Graphic Tees + Sweatshirts, Dermstore Anniversary Sale Picks and more Beauty Finds. Beauty has def been on my mind lately... I have a whole Sephora cart going so that's definitely on my order list + maybe some new staple pieces that I can transition into Fall? I'm in that weird in-between now where it's still warm out but I'm reading to buy for Fall. 

+ NEW BOOK - I've been taking a reading break for a few weeks so I want to jump back in. I picked out my August Reads but I'm still in the middle of How to Win Friends and Influence People. I'm in the mood for something more so I'm going to dive into Every Summer After or The Spanish Love Deception. With just a little bit of summer left, I need to sneak in a few more beach reads! 

+ LAUNDRY - Always the gift that keeps on giving and giving and giving. I've pretty much nailed the strategy of having enough clothes so that I don't have to do laundry every other day (perks of doing laundry for one!). It's an effective strategy until you finally run out of clothes, hah. I really don't have too much to do this weekend but I need to tackle the dreaded sheets. I leave the worst for last, lol! 

What are you up to this weekend? 

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? :)

WEEKEND PLANS + TO-DO LIST | 7.22.22

I recently heard that we can find ourselves becoming burnt out from constantly spending our off time stressing over what we need to do when we're not "off." By planning or worrying about to-do lists while we're "relaxing," we never actually reach a place of relaxation. Who would've thought, right? This was a great little reminder for me and something I've learned all too well over the past few years. I've definitely gotten better about creating more balance between working and my personal life, however I'm still guilty of constantly wanting to do more, be better, achieve personal goals, etc.

I thought about it and realized there is never a time when I have nothing I need or want to do. Maybe that's just a part of life or the hustle culture we're accustomed to. I think it's a double-edged sword in some ways. On the one hand, having goals and to-do lists are essential for making progress and moving forward. On the other, having too many things at once can be a counterproductive. For me, creating a balance between the two has been key. If you've ever read any of my "to-do list" posts, you'll know I will put anything on a to-do list if it's important/time sensitive, not something I willingly want to do or something I might want to do but I have a harder time actually doing it. 

This weekend feels like a good time to reset and refocus so I thought I'd share my top goals + plans for the weekend in between working and my normal day-to-day. 

+ FINISH MY BOOK - I'm finally back on my reading kick which feels so good. One of my top priorities right now is to finish up Where the Crawdads Sing so that I can go see the new movie. I'm a little over halfway right now and the goal is to finish it this weekend. I have Tuesdays off from work so a movie date has my name written all over it! 

+ GROCERY SHOP - I've been back in a weird place of trying to eat healthier but not really succeeding? I've also been eating out for most meals and while I still keep it pretty healthy, there's definitely some room for improvement. I'd like to get back into eating at home more for breakfast and lunch so a grocery run is in store. My issue is usually making the time to prep healthier options. It's also nice sometimes to just pick something up and relax on break so I need to figure something out that sticks. I'll keep you posted once I get there! ;) 

+ CATCH UP ON GILMORE GIRLS - This might be silly but mentally I also struggle with what activities to spend my free time on.... ???!! I recently started re-watching Gilmore Girls which I am loving all over again, however it's been getting the boot between Where the Crawdads Sing and whatever else I end up doing. I'm definitely that person, ya'll. I'm telling you my problem is always wanting to do too much at once. That's why I'm penciling it on here... if I write it down I'm more likely to remember to make time for it. 

+ BIRTHDAY SHOP - My mom's birthday is on Sunday so of course I'll be celebrating with her and the fam. I've done most of my shopping for her but still need to pick up a few more things to finish off her gift! 

+ WASH SHEETS - At the bottom of the list because it's my least favorite thing to do, lol. IYKYK. 

Cutting it off there because Lord knows it'll be a win if I get these all done! What are your plans this weekend?

WEEKEND PLANS | 4.8.22

Hello, hello! Once again we’re expecting some crazy weather this weekend here in TN. As I’m writing, it’s 54 degrees out but they’re calling for snow showers on Saturday. Are we even surprised at this point? Mother Nature sure has a mind of her own... 

I am so excited for this weekend! Are you up to anything fun this weekend? After three years, I'm finally going to see Elton John in concert tonight. I don’t know whether I ever shared with you but JJ bought me tickets for Christmas back in 2019. 2019! Cue 2020, the disarray that COVID brought and the original concert was rescheduled two or three times. I think we can all agree that the past couple of years have been wild and the new date (today) snuck up on us. I had made a mental note a long time ago that the new concert date was in April 2022, however I never kept up with the exact date. We looked a few months back but because it’s been such a long time coming, I put it out of my mind again. 

For whatever reason I had it in my mind that it was scheduled for the end of this month but *luckily* I had a feeling on Monday night to check. You can imagine my surprise when I saw it was four days away... lol. It's the most bizarre it’s-been-a-long-time-coming-last-minute plan ever. I'm so excited though that it’s finally happening and that we were able to make last minute plans to still go. Most importantly that I checked and we didn’t miss it! I'll share some tidbits on IG so check my stories if you love Elton too! You can find me @TheKristenDiary. 

In other news, I've had some wins this week on eating healthier + exercising. For breakfast I’ve been making an effort to cut back on fat and supplementing in leaner options like egg whites, oatmeal and whole grains. Maintaining a high protein level in meals is important + also helps to keep you feeling more full throughout the day. For lunch and dinner I’m also being more mindful of calorie intake and adding in more lean protein, fruits + veggies. This week consisted of extra tomatoes, sweet potatoes, some leafy greens and mixed fruit. It’s a balance of making better choices and still allowing myself to indulge at times! 

What are your weekend plans? 

EXCITING WEEKEND PLANS | 8/13

Hello, weekend! It’s an exciting one over here because JJ and I are taking a WEEKEND TRIP to Chattanooga! When I tell you it’s been forever since I’ve taken any type of trip or had a vacation (even a mini one like this)- it’s been FOREVER. This was a totally spur of the moment, spontaneous decision we made yesterday which I can't wait for!

PS- still obsessed with this salad from SaladWorks! Totally unrelated to this post but is the only photo I took today 😬

I ran around all last night throwing together outfits, packing, etc. Anyone else prep and pack like you’re moving out?? We’ll only be gone for two nights, LOL. That threw out any chance of a normal blog post for today so a little chat + update it is. We’re leaving after work this evening so I’m going to do my best to share + update what we’re up to on IG stories. If you aren’t following me, you can find me @TheKristenDiary. I’m looking forward to lots of delicious food, time to relax + our hotel.

I’m also laughing because it was the first week I tried time blocking in my new planner (more on that in this post) but most days were a sh*t show and ended up nothing like I’d planned. If it ends with me getting a little R&R, I’m a-okay with that. I will say having things written down helps a lot. I’ve noticed that I still accomplished a lot of my to-dos for the week even if they were off schedule. There were several things this week that I didn’t do when I originally wanted to, but that I was reminded to tackle since they were in my planner. 

Between work and everything else, I squeezed in an unexpected dentist appointment, laundry + sheet change 🔪, blog posts + my step goal. This week’s goal is to walk 10k steps or more every day which I’m on track for. It seems like there are always things that you don’t get done and a million more new ones that keep getting added to the list. The lesson for me on this one always seems to go back to making progress over perfection.

What are you up to this weekend? I'd love to know!

WEEKEND PLANS

Hi, Friday 🙌🏻 I'm so ready to rest + relax this weekend. I'm one of the lucky ones who still has to work on weekends, however they're a little more laid back and I have extra free time. I try to take it easy, however it seems like I still have to always squeeze in those errands + chores too. Anyone else?? More than happy to return my adulthood ticket ASAP. Anywho, I thought I'd share a little glimpse into what my weekend is looking like. This is pretty standard except that my mom's birthday is this weekend! Do you have any exciting plans? 

+VEG OUT

My boyfriend and I have started having movie nights every weekend. We've watched a bunch of different movies lately + are currently on The Karate Kid movies. We've made it through the first two so The Karate Kid Part III is next on the list! We also usually get takeout-- I'm thinking either pizza or Japanese this weekend. I also started watching Shark Week episodes this week too so hoping to squeeze in a few more of those too. Linking my What I've Been Watching post here if you need some movie/show ideas! 

+TARGET RUN

This weekend calls for a #TARGETRUN! I used up several of my everyday staples this week (floss, vitamins, etc.) so I havvvveeeeeeee to go. Don't you just hate it??? Hehe. 

+MOM'S BIRTHDAY

My mom's birthday is this weekend which means family dinner + some last minute shopping! 🤫🎂

+START A NEW BOOK 

I finished reading Enneagram 4 by Beth McCord this week (I'll link my review here) so I'm feeling inspired to start a new book. It seems like I can never get out of a reading slump but I'm in the mood to start one of the fun, romancey reads from my most recent Summer Book Haul. I can't decide on People We Meet on Vacation or Freed... what do you think? 

+SHEETS/LAUNDRY

Wouldn't it be nice if the sheets could just change themselves?! Ya'll know how I feel about this but it's a never-ending cycle. 

+WASH HAIR

I'm typically a once-a-weeker when it comes to washing my hair. I like to do it on the weekends because it's a process + I have more time to tame the mane, LOL. I'm still using the Aveeno Shampoo & Conditioner but switch back to the Briogeo scalp revival this weekend.

That's pretty much it for now! Do your weekends look similar to mine or do you do fun, crazy things?? I would love to take the weekend off soon + go somewhere exciting!