AUGUST GOALS

It looks like August is the month to get it in gear. I'm soooooo ready for fall vibes which are inspiring me to do all the things. Lately one of my main goals has also just been to take better care of myself. Doing this is always important, however sometimes I think we can all use a little extra boost. It's tricky juggling everything all at once + I know I tend to prioritize certain areas more than others. Most of my goals for the month revolve around this in some way-- here's my list: 

+ORANGETHEORY MARATHON - At the top of the list is completing marathon month at Orangetheory which I SIGNED UP FOR! Ya'll, I am so excited. This is my first time participating in one of the OTF challenges and it feels really good! I decided to sign up for the half marathon goal which is to log at least 13.1 miles throughout August. I also finally took the leap and upgraded my membership to elite which is eight classes per month. I'm embracing the change of extra classes + the marathon challenge. Some change feels necessary + good!

+MONEY RESET - Monday's blog post has all of the details on this but I'm also starting a little money/budget reset. I've been major slacking when it comes to keeping up with my spending, goals, etc. With the holidays approaching, it seemed like a good time to re-assess and just get back on track with finances. 

+CLEAN & DECLUTTER - For whatever reason Miss "clean & declutter" always seems to work her way into every to-do list or goal post I make??? I'm the problem, it's me. Lol. Staying organized is just always a constant battle at this current stage in life. 

+FALL SHOPPING - My favorite season and time of the year to shop is always during the fall. I love the fashion, Halloween, Christmas, you name it. It's the best of the best. My excuse is also that I always need a little wardrobe re-vamp every season, lol. I also need a new house so that I can buy the entire Halloween line from Pottery Barn, pls + ty. One day...

+SELF-CARE MAINTENANCE - Also on the list are the things I've been pushing off, lol. I am WAY overdue for a new haircut. I planned to go weeks ago but clearly that hasn't happened. This month it would be really great to check off hair, nails + try my hand at self-tanning again. The last time I tried, I broke out in a rash immediately after. Lol. Send your self-tan recommendations and good luck my way!

+ROADTRIP - Okay, this one is a maybe August, maybe September. I've been wanting to take a little roadtrip and fall time is always the best. I would really like to go once the new pumpkin items come out at Trader Joe's. I have it on my list every year to go and buy a bunch of things to try and I never make it in time. I also want to find a CAVA to try out, it looks yummy.  

What's on your August agenda? 

MY MID-2023 MONEY RESET

I can’t decide if I’m mad or glad about not spending any money for tax free weekend? I was really tempted to get a jump on fall shopping but I resisted, y’all. I didn’t have anything specific that I just absolutely wanted or needed so it just felt like too much of an impulse push. I decided I’d rather just wait and pay the tax later on things I actually want versus buying random things to save a little. 

I also decided now is the perfect time for a little money reset. I’ve been very lax with my spending over the last few months and with fall and the holidays approaching, I’m trying to get it together. I’ve never been an extreme budgeter but having a money plan + knowing where it goes is always helps me feel more organized and in control. I also keep being constantly reminded of the rising costs of inflation on everything nowadays, THANK YOU TIKTOK. We’ve all seen it first hand but the constant reminders just seem to make it feel even worse! I will be fine and then after a video or two, I find myself slipping down the doom and gloom spiral which is not a good place, ya'll. 

Ultimately I know that doesn’t get me anywhere except anxious, stressed and feeling out of control. Because I can’t change what’s happening in the world, I'm choosing to focus on the positive things I do have and on making changes in place I can control. Here are some of the things I'm choosing to do + some goals I have to get reorganized and back on track. 

MONEY RESET + GOALS

+TRACK SPENDING - Whenever I feel disorganized with money, it's usually because I'm just spending blindly. I'm just swiping my card without keeping track of where my money is going or how much is going out. I have a pretty good idea of what is "okay" for me spend without getting too out of control (lol), but I'm definitely a lot less disciplined and intentional. I think it's been over a year since I've actually tracked what I've spent monthly so that's my first order of business. It'll be nice to assess any areas I should cut back on (always food, lol) and maybe where I can spend more. 

+BE MORE MINDFUL - Alongside of that is just being more mindful of my spending. I don't plan on being too restrictive, just more thoughtful with my purchases. It's easy to impulse buy at times, however I ultimately feel more excited by spending on things I love + really want. I also love the fall time + holiday seasons so I would rather put my money towards that.

+CLEAR OUT & SELL OLD ITEMS - Decluttering is always a good idea, especially if you can earn a little bit of your money back! I'm not the best at doing this so I'm adding it as one of my goals. Maybe I should find something to save up for that I could use as motivation? I like the idea of selling X amount of items or making a certain dollar amount that I could then use towards something new. 

+OPEN MONEY MARKET ACCOUNT - I'm a big fan of having a high-yield savings account, especially right now. Most are paying 4-5% interest right now which makes them a great way to earn money on any savings you might have. I use Ally and recently noticed their money market accounts are earning even more than the HYSA rate right now. Because they don't charge any fees or minimums, I think I'm going to add a MMA to my account to earn that little bit of extra $$$.

+ACTIVELY INVEST - For the past several years, I've always said that I wanted to boost my investments outside of my retirement account. I have dabbled a little bit here and there, however I've never been that disciplined with doing so. Retirement is staying as my top priority, however I want to get better about trying to invest more if I have any extra $$$ to allocate. 

+ABUNDANCE MINDSET - Back to the "doom and gloom" conversation, I want to keep myself in a positive, abundant mindset. This one can be really hard if you're struggling financially or just feel stuck in life. I totally get it- the world we live in now just feels hard sometimes and most of us can probably agree that we thought we'd be at a different place in life right now. I know I have and if you aren't careful, you can stay discouraged and stuck on the negative.  I do believe you get what you give and that being positive and having an abundant mindset (both with money and life in general) is super important. This is also another reason why I try not to be *too* strict with budgeting. It's important to be smart and a good steward with your money, however in my experience being too restrictive or uptight can lead to a scarcity mindset. I also think even if times are tough, you're more likely to make a positive change with an abundant mindset than with one of scarcity or lack. 

Starting with those! Do you have any money goals right now? 

BOOKS IN MY CART | 7.28.23

BOOKS IN MY CART

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

+ The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

+ Jackie: Public, Private, Secret by J. Randy Taraborrelli 

+ Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey 

+ Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton 

**Click here to see my full reading list**

What are you reading right now?

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? :)

WHAT I'M LOVING AT ABERCROMBIE RIGHT NOW

Green Floral Printed Maxi Dress // Baseball Cap // Bodysuit // Cotton Workout Tee // Workout Onesie // Running Shorts // Tailored Pants // Slides // Yellowstone Graphic Tee

-SHOP THE POST-

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? :)

KODIAK KRAZE + WEEKLY GROCERY FINDS

Alright, ya'll. I pretty much blacked out in Publix this week with the Kodiak products. Lately I've been working on boosting my daily protein intake and for quick and easy packaged items, I love the Kodiak brand. Their chewy bars + the Cinnamon Oat pancake mix are delish! This week all of the pancakes mixes, frozen waffles & bars were all included in the Publix Weekly BOGO sale which ya'll know I also have an obsession with. Who knew that the excitement of adulthood would come from scoring deals at the grocery store? Honestly one of my favorite parts of the week is checking the weekly sales at my go-to spots.

Most of this week is Kodiak + random snacks items, however I also grabbed a few supplementary items that were also on sale too like butter and fruit for my greek yogurt. I'm still in pretty good shape with my staple breakfast/lunch items so this week I decided to just stock up on the fun things. I also am really excited to try these dessert hummus-- have you had them? I've never been a big fan of regular hummus so I'm curious how these will taste! I also try to avoid liquid calories unless it's a coffee here and there but I couldn't resist theses baby Mott's bottles this week-- seriously SO cute. I'm obsessed. I loved Mott's AJ as a kid so I thought I'd grabbed a pack for a little throwback treat. 

PRODUCE

+ Organic Raspberries
+ Organic Strawberries
+ Organic Honey Gold Potatoes
+ Sweet Potatoes

DAIRY/NON-DAIRY
+ President Unsalted Butter

PROTEIN
+ Kodiak Power Cakes Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix
+ Kodiak Power Cakes Chocolate Chip Pancake & Waffle Mix
+ Kodiak Cakes Protein Packed Buttermilk Pancakes (frozen)
+ Kodiak Cakes Protein Packed Buttermilk Waffles (frozen)
+ Kodiak Cakes Protein Packed Chocolate Chip Waffles (frozen)
+ Kodiak Cakes Protein Packed Double Chocolate Waffles (frozen)

SNACKS
+ Kodiak Maple Brown Sugar Crunchy Granola Bars
+ Kodiak Peanut Butter Crunchy Granola Bars
+ Kodiak Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bars
+ Kodiak Double Chocolate Chewy Granola Bars
+ Kodiak S'mores Chewy Granola Bars
+ Siete Chipotle BBQ Potato Chips
+ Siete Sea Salt Potato Chips
+ Quinn Sea Salt Pretzels

MISCELLANEOUS
+ Boar's Head Apple Pie Dessert Hummus
+ Boar's Head Dark Chocolate Dessert Hummus
+ Mott's Apple Juice Minis 

What are you shopping for this week? 

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?

WHAT I WANT | NEW BEAUTY

Westman Atelier Illuminator Drops // Tower 28 Beauty Redness Remover Moisturizer // Moon Juice G Pack Treatment // Wooden Scalp Massager // Oribe Moisture & Control Shampoo // ARMANI BEAUTY Armani Prive Cuir Zerzura Perfume // Rare Beauty Eyeshadow Stick // COLOR WOW Anti-frizz Hair Treatment // Hourglass Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation

-SHOP THE POST-

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? :)