SUPER BOWL SUNDAY RECAP

Happy VDAY! Did any of you celebrate this weekend or did you watch the Super Bowl? We’re going out tonight so we (aka JJ... LOL. If it’s not my team I only go for the snacks & commercials.) watched the game. I ate my weight in chips & queso and may have indulged in one or two margaritas...😉

My work just moved locations so it’s been a crazy past few weeks of moving and getting settled in. I haven’t had a lot of free time lately and yesterday was my first full day off in awhile. It was nice to be able to relax, take it easy and spend some quality time with JJ.

We went to a new local spot for brunch yesterday. Are you a sweet or savory brunch person? I can go either way but normally go for something more savory. I ended up going for chicken & waffles and JJ had a shrimp & grits bowl. We also split some bacon & cheese home fries that were the star of the show— they were SO good! Perfectly crisp & delicious.

After brunch we ran some errands, did some Fresh Market/Target runs and caught up on The Sopranos. We finished up Season 3 so we’re finally getting closer to the end! Also did anyone else love the Chevy super bowl commercial? That was my fave!! Such a great throwback and fun since we’ve been watching.

After all of the queso and margaritas at dinner, it’s time to jump back on the healthy train. I’ve had too many reasons to push it off (the holidays, the work move, my birthday, Valentine’s Day, etc.) but my body needs a detox. The plan is to eat cleaner and cut back on the sugar and snacks. That’s usually where I struggled the most— I love anything sweet! I’m also looking forward to eating at home more for breakfast & lunch. I purchased some new oatmeal I’m excited to try— what kind of toppings should I put in it? I have chia, raisins, syrup, etc., but want your suggestions!

Let me know what I should pick up!

I love chatting 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? :)

END OF THE WEEK THOUGHTS | 9/17

Is it socially acceptable to walk around with an "out of order" sign taped to the front of your shirt? Try again later, plz and TY! After this week ya'll I need to just check out + go hibernate. I think my allergies and Aunt Flo must have joined forces to wreck havoc on my life, lol. Between that and less sleep, to say I'm grateful it's the weekend is my most understated end of the week thought yet. 

Despite feeling a little under the weather, my week has been surprisingly quick and has been relatively stress-free. I thought going back to work for a full week after having Labor Day off would be a struggle but it’s felt more like the opposite. I'm also happy to still have blog content up for you this week! Sometimes it's a grind but you've gotta just keep on keepin' on. If you haven't read the posts yet, I shared my Fall Bucket List and Taste Testing Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread + Muffin Mix this week. 

In other exciting news, we have a new fur baby in the family! My parents got a new puppy last weekend and we are all obsessed. Cooper is a feisty little guy full of energy and excitement. We've had so much fun together already even though he won't stop biting my ear off! Peep the photo above! 🐶

I also managed to get caught up on a few financial things this week that I've been putting off. I've been way behind on tracking my spending + working with my budget. Way behind as in I've finally caught up through July.... lol. We're getting there. More importantly, I also took care of my quarterly tax estimates that were due this week. Here's a little PSA if anyone happened to forget + this applies to you! Also make sure to check out 5 Fall Financial Moves to Make Now. 

Have you been watching anything good this week? I started Season 8 of the Great British Bake Off on Netflix a few weeks ago. Highly recommend if you are into baking! It is theeeeee best. Last year I binged watched the entire thing but never caught the newest season. I also had no idea until a few days ago but another new season comes out at the end of this month?! My subconscious must have ESP because this always happens after I start watching something, haha. 

Alright you guys... that's pretty much all I could fit into this week, otherwise I'd be completely comatose at this point. I hope you have a relaxing weekend, let’s all sleep in!

END OF THE WEEK THOUGHTS | 9/3

Another Friday is here! Every time I turn around another week has flown by. Here's to hoping it'll start to slow down a bit now that we're in Fall season. In reality, this time of the year is always a blur + super chaotic but a girl can dream!

Not too much has happened this week but my creativity is low + I'm feeling chatty. Something I am stoked about is that I've made it four weeks into my step challenge-- if you missed it, I've been aiming to walk 10,000+ steps every day. I originally only planned to do it for a week but I'm still going strong. I dedicated Monday's post all about this so I won't bore you with all the details but I'll link the post here.

Also on the topic of health, I splurged on some new supplements this week. The joys of getting older! Right now I've only been taking Vitamin C so I really need/wanted to add some new ones to the mix. I ordered D3/K2, Quercetin, Zinc Spray, B12 + a new type of Vitamin C. They all have their own benefits + purpose, however most are centered on general health + immunity. **I'm not a doctor/physician so I'm only sharing what I chose to buy for me. Always be sure to do your own research and check with your doctor for guidance + recommendations.** 

A quick update on the MSM powder too-- I've only been using it for about a week now but I think I'm starting to see a difference. I've had a lot of shoulder/neck pain on and off for the past year. I'm not sure what's causing it but I've heard taking an MSM powder is good for your joint + bone health. I've also read it can take up to three weeks before you notice any differences so we'll see what happens. 

That's pretty much the gist of things besides eating out too much. The cutting back struggle is as real as always but I've been doing pretty good overall. One day at a time! I also really need to update my spending/budget. When I tell you I'm behind............. lolz. 

Also please let me know what fall posts you want to see!! I have some ideas up my sleeve but I love hearing for you. I kicked things off on Wednesday with some Cozy Fall Staples so go comment on that post or tell me on IG @TheKristenDiary :) 

Time for weekend fun! 

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!

START OF THE WEEK THOUGHTS | 7/26

It is most definitely a MONDAY. I don't know if it's me or just the summer days but the weeks are feeling way longer and the weekends shorter. If anyone would like to take me on a three-month hiatus to Europe, come get me now PLZ and TY! I need a vacation ASAP! Until then, I’ll just be over here binge watching Shark Week episodes. 

Be sure to follow me on IG to see stories + posts. You can find me @TheKristenDiary :)

Not joking- I’ve been living my best life watching all of the Shark Week shows on Discovery+. It’s so fun and has helped curb my Tik-Tok marathons, lol. Anyone else get sucked into watching Tik-Tok for hours? I love it and hate it at the same time. I don’t feel bad about watching Shark Week- much more productive, ya know?? It's so interesting + wild! Do you think you could/would ever go swimming with sharks? It looks like it would be such a life changing experience but also scares the s*it out of me.

I'm looking forward to another busy week but I'm going to try to make more time to relax + rest. I've been working a lot and while I love it, it's easy to start feeling like you have no life. I'm going to force myself to start a new book this week. It’s like an act of Congress for me to read these days but fun, romancey reads usually help to get me out of a lull. I put up a poll on IG stories this week about which one I should start next- People We Meet on Vacation or Freed. By a landslide, almost everyone said People We Meet on Vacation! Have you read it yet? I’ll keep you posted with my thoughts on my stories but I'm planning on sharing a review here too. PS- check out my Summer Book Haul here if you need some inspo!

I bought some more healthier snacks so this weekend to try: the Siete Mexican Wedding Cookies, Quinn Microwave popcorn (no chemicals!) + another bag of my favorite dark chocolate almonds. The cookies are delicious-- I think I like them even more than the Mexican Shortbread. Definitely recommend if you want a cookie with better ingredients. Would you be interested in seeing some snack/food recommendations on here? I've been sharing food hauls recently so LMK your thoughts on that. If you missed those, I'll link my grocery haul + snacks haul for you. I've found it a lot easier to transition to healthier snacks but more challenging to eat healthier at home. I'm always on the go + it's sometimes easier to just eat out.

If you use a planner, I need the 411! I've been debating on whether I would use one but I think I'm gong to buy a new to give time blocking a try. I think if I schedule everything out that I want to do, I'll be much more productive + organized. I like both the Live Rich Planner from TheBudgetMom and the designs of the Happy Planner. If you use one, what do you like/prefer?

Hope you have an amazing week!