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? 

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WHAT'S IN MY AMAZON CART

I'm overdue for a new Amazon haul, ya'll. Every few months I like to order all of the things I've accumulated in my cart. For whatever reason, on Amazon I like to just add things here and there as I find them and place an order once I need need something. Most of the time everything end up being super random which is fun to unbox! 

I love Amazon for supplements, books, beauty + random items that can be harder to find in stores. Right now most of what's in my cart are beauty items. I've convinced myself that I need to start doing my own nails at home which obviously means I need new supplies, lol... any excuse to do some shopping! On a serious note, I would love to be able to perfect my at home mani pedi. I can do a shoddy paint job but nothing like the pros. It's always good to start with the basics so I figured I could use a new set of essentials. I love this brand + need some good quality clippers and nail files. I also feel like cuticles are what make or break how good your nails can look? I added this cuticle remover because it has incredible reviews and is under $5! Love that. I also threw in these cuticle nippers which I'm a little scared to use but feel like I need. The last nail related item I have is clear acrylic powder. I was chatting with a girl at Orangetheory about how great her nails looked when she told me she did them herself. She said the secret to making them last longer is added power underneath the acrylic so I'm definitely trying that! 

Also in the beauty category is this Differin Cleanser. I actually saw Dr. Dray recommend this as an underarm wash to help get rid of bacteria + keep your underarms from smelling. She said she uses this instead of wearing deodorant! I'm very intrigued about that, ya'll. I don't have any plans to quit wearing deodorant anytime soon, however I definitely want to see how this works. I switched over to natural/aluminum free deodorant about a year and a half ago which has been an eventful transition, lol. I've tried a ton of different brands and formulas, most of which have been subpar if we're just being honest. The reality is that most "clean" deodorants all lead to sweating and if you're doing a lot of physical activity, can't always block odors. My thought is that if I use both the deodorant + this cleanser together, it'll be the dynamic duo of my dreams! 

Okay, last beauty item is Castor Oil. Everyone swears castor oil is a miracle product with a ton of uses/benefits. The one that got me is that apparently it can help cleanse your gut. You apply the oil on to these oil pads which then penetrates through the skin + helps cleanse internally? I have zero clue whether it actually works but I'm interested enough to give it a try. I'll keep you posted once I try it, however it's of course always important to check with your doctor before using anything health related. 

You can always bet there is some type of book in my Amazon cart. Recently I've been in the mood for fall-themed books and I want to read In the Company of Witches next. It's been on my list for a few months now but I've been holding off for October. I'm also still debating whether I need to order the new Apple Watch... my Fitbit died a few months ago so I've been using my dad's old Apple Watch to track my steps. It honestly works perfectly fine, I'm just in one of those "should I buy my own" dilemmas right now. I love the stainless steel chain band! 

**SHOP ALL OF MY AMAZON FINDS HERE** 

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? :)

WHAT I WANT | SEPTEMBER

Green Wrap Bodysuit // Liquid Eyeliner // Wool Coat // Ouai Detox Shampoo // Straight Denim // Hoka Sneakers // Cropped Sweater // Hoop Earrings // Caudalie Hand Cream 

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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? :)

WEEKLY TO-DO LIST | 9.25.23

Ya'll, it's one of those weeks where all I want to do is CHILL. Last week was super hectic. Between work, appointments and events, it was nonstop and I am exhausted. The older I get, the more I realize how much of a homebody I am. I love getting things done, however I definitely recharge and value my me time. Sometimes adulting is also just stressful and mentally taxing, ya know? Despite the chaos, I still made it to BINGO though! If you missed last week's post, I'm in my bingo playing coastal grandmother/golden girl era. My Chicky hosts it every six weeks or so and it's so fun, hahahah. The plan for this week is to slow down a little and relax some more without completely dropping the ball. Basically just do the things I need to do + then chill tf out. This is "holding myself accountable" when the motivation is down a couple notches because the show must go on, no? I also may or may not be feeling a littleeeee uninspired with blog content today too, don't tell... lol. 

THIS WEEK'S LIST:

+WORKOUT - The idea of just skipping my workouts this week sounds really nice. I *won't* be doing that, however I still have to b*tch and moan every once in awhile. On a real note, I actually really enjoy working out and going. I haven't been sleeping as much lately which I think is throwing off my motivation a little but I always feel really good afterwards. I went to a free weightlifting class that my Orangetheory hosted on Saturday so I still have three classes to complete by the end of this week. I usually go Tuesday morning and Saturdays so this week I'll squeeze in an extra on Thursday or Friday.

+SAUNA - Very much looking forward to tomorrow's sauna visit- I love them. They're like a little reward after working out. I've been going once a week for 35 minutes and enjoy the detox time. It also has amazing health benefits and is great for muscle recovery after a workout. 

+CLEAN CAR - This one will definitely take a little bit of motivation but my car needs a deep clean. This is another one of those love/hates because I LOVE a clean car, I just hate the process. Every time I do the entire inside I end up spending an hour+ on vacuuming, etc., which is why I hate going, lol. I definitely need to be more efficient, then I would go more often! 

+SHEETS//LAUNDRY - ALWAYS! 

+START A NEW BOOK - I need something fun and fallish to read. I've been itching to start a new book or re-read Harry Potter, lol. I'm overdue on reading them all again + a movie marathon! It also just feels even more magical to watch them during the holidays. I also still have In the Company of Witches on my list too! 

+WATCH A MOVIE - I need a fun, relaxing movie day. I've already decided 10 Things I Hate About You will be hitting my screen this week. It's one of my all time favorites and I haven't watched it what feels like a year or two?? Did ya'll see the guy on TikTok who recently went to visit Stadium High School where it was filmed? How fun! His video is definitely to blame for this rewatch, lol. 

What's on your to-do list this week? 

MY ULTIMATE FALL STYLE GUIDE

Tomorrow is the first *official* day of fall- FINALLY. Over the last several weeks, I've been slowly dripping in new fall content on the blog. By this point it should be no secret that I'm a fall girlie through and through. Amazing weather, style, snacks- it's THE ultimate season which brings us to this post: My Ultimate Fall Style Guide. Here you'll find all of my favorite fall style picks + posts in one place- think sweaters, shoes, bags + more. I couldn't forget the beauty either. I like to do these "all in one" posts as a reference for combining each all separate style post and category into one. I hope it serves as a useful reference for some key fall staples you may be shopping for. As always, I'll add links for everything + will keep updating the post as I come across new fall finds. 

Green Cable Knit // Brown Square Neck // Striped Cropped Pullover // Chocolate Rib V-Neck // Khaki Sweater Tank // Cable Tie Pullover // Coat Cardi // Striped Ribbed Crewneck // Half Zip Pullover

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Leather Moto Jacket // Embroidered Blazer // Plaid Blazer Coat // Slouch Wool Coat // Shawl Collar Coat // Belted Coat // Crepe Blazer // Corduroy Bomber Jacket // Leather Blazer 

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UGG Ultra Mini // New Balance Sneakers // Black Suede Clogs // Printed Clogs // Printed Sneakers // Army Green Sneakers // UGG Slip-Ons 

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Black Leather Shoulder Bag // Green Woven Crossbody // Tan Suede Messenger // Padded Chain Crossbody // Brown Leather Crossbody // Black + Gold Convertible Clutch // Tan Leather Crossbody // Black Half Moon Crossbody 

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Nail Polish // Eyeshadow Palette // Mascara // Concealer // Fragrance // Pumpkin Candle // Beautyblender // Lippie Balm // Blush 

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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? :)

WHAT TO BUY FOR YOUR GUY | FALL + WINTER EDITION

Pullover // Kiehl's Skincare Set // Bose Headphones // Mug // Quarter-zip Pullover // Coffee Maker // Joggers // Barefoot Dreams Throw // UGG Slippers 

In honor of my dad's birthday, here are some of my go-to gifts for the men in your life. Whenever I'm gift shopping, I like to consider both the occasion and season we're in. I think it can be a nice touch to choose items based not only on what the person likes but also how/when they can use them. September is a transition month so gifting a nice sweater or pair of UGGs can be great heading into fall and winter. When in doubt, you can also never go wrong with tech, grooming or food/gift cards. Everyone loves to eat! Whether you have birthdays, anniversaries or starting your holiday shopping, I hope these will give you some inspo on what to buy for your guy. 

If you look back at some older holiday gift guides, you'll see a lot of these same types of items. Sometimes men can be tricky to shop for. In my experience, they tend to buy most of what they want and just want less than us gals do, lol. I like to give gifts that someone might not necessarily buy for themselves. That can be a particular item or an elevated version of something. Sometimes I will splurge on a nicer item here and there which you'll see in this post, however you can find all of these items at all different price points from splurgy to more affordable. I'll link lots of options below.

If you know their style, clothing CAN be a good go to. I tend to stick to the basics- joggers, socks or some type of top/pullover. My dad has a more business casual style so a nice polo or quarter-zip is usually a win. If I were buying for my boyfriend, I would probably go for something a little sportier or sports driven. 

Regular shoes can be hit or miss but UGG slippers are almost always a win. Most of the men I know wouldn't go out and purchase a pair of slippers themselves and if they did, it probably wouldn't be UGGs. I think the UGGs are one of those nice splurge items, however any cozy pair of slippers will do. When it's cooler, they're great to throw on for walking around the house, going outside, etc. Similar to that are the Barefoot Dreams blankets. Definitely another splurge that most of the men I know wouldn't buy for themselves. They will love (and use!) it though- who doesn't loves curling up with a cozy blanket on the couch?

Let's talk coffee. My dad is currently a Keurig guy so I love to buy new k-cups, mugs or accessories he can use. It's a nice and affordable way to give something they already enjoy. You could do the same with tea, fishing, books, whatever their hobbies are. For the mugs- I love these and have gifted them to both my dad & bf. They are a good size, high quality + a clean style. Guy approved! 

Most men love tech and gadgets. I'm not really in the know too much on what's hot these days but I know pretty much anyone can use headphones and they're a universal gift. I also think some self-care or men's beauty/grooming is nice if you know what they like. Skincare and cologne never go out of style. When in doubt, grab a gift card and call it a day!

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What's your go-to gift?

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? :)

WEEKLY TO-DO LIST | 9.18.23

If you didn't know, I have a habit of creating lists for pretty much everything. Whether it be work related, chores or just fun things- I usually jot it down in my notes app. At times my mind just feels overloaded. The lists help me to organize my thoughts and serve as a brain dump of sorts. I also find they make me more productive. When I can see what I need, want or have to do- it's much more likely to get done. It also feels pretty d*mn good checking things off. You all seem to like when I share these little mini "to-do" lists so I thought I'd share a little snapshot of this week. I usually keep these short with just the highlights, fun things or "chores" that I need to but don't always want to do. I also leave work out so this is just a mini glimpse into some of my "personal" to-do list :) 

WEEKLY TO-DO LIST:

+BINGO - Alright, I'm officially entering my coastal grandmother era. I shared a little while back that my local Chick-fil-a has been doing bingo every few weeks. I happened to be there one bingo morning and they asked if I wanted to play. I obliged and ya'll, there was no going back. It's so much fun- last time I won twice! I mean who doesn't love free Chicky prizes??! Obsessed! It's on this week's schedule so ya'll know I'll be there or be square! 

+DENTIST - WAY less fun than bingo is my dentist appointment on Wednesday. Thankfully I always have good appointments but I still dread going anyway. It's just one of those things, ya know? 

+SHEETS//LAUNDRY - It's no secret that my least favorite chore is changing the sheets on my bed. I know it really isn't *that* bad, I just hate the putting them back on part. What I do love is sliding into fresh clean sheets, though. Definitely an underrated experience, especially with great sheets. I like to change mine once a week so recently I've been designating Tuesday as sheet day. 

+DAD'S BIRTHDAY - My dad's birthday is also Wednesday which means family dinner and fun. Gift shopping + cake duty is also on the schedule! 

+GYM/SAUNDA - Orangetheory and the infrared sauna has become a regular part of my weeks, however I always enjoy (and feel accomplished) going so I still add them on my list. I go to OTF and the sauna every Tuesday morning and then will add in a second workout at another random time during the week. 

+SKINCARE - One habit I'm still working on being consistent with is my skincare. Currently I am consistently inconsistent, lol. My two main priorities are to start applying my sunscreen every single day and to do my retinol serum a few nights a week. 

That's pretty much the gist of things as of now. I do need to squeeze a grocery run in somewhere and I would also love to clean my car, get a haircut + either do/get my nails done. 

What's on your agenda this week?

I love sharing my life 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? :)