2018 Check-in!

I didn't set resolutions this year, but I did make a list of fifty-two things I'd like to do in 2018. Since we're roughly a fourth of the way through the year, I figured I'd check in on those!
I've honestly loved not having set goals/resolutions. This year I'm more focused on experiences, on making memories and living in the moment I'm in, and it's been great.  
So far, I've accomplished:
Spend a day at the beach. I've had a few of these so far! Love you forever, Florida. 
Go to a farmer's market. I went to our local farmer's market a few weeks ago! Met a girl who makes her own all-natural skincare and bought a few things from her. 
Try on every piece of clothing I own. I did this and cannot recommend it highly enough. If it didn't fit, GONE. If I didn't love it on my body, GONE. I sold what I could and donated the rest. It's a wonderful feeling knowing that everything in my closet actually fits me. 
Go to a concert. Kelsea Ballerini was magical. 
Go to a sporting event. We took Jack to two basketball games! He had the best time and lasted the whole game, which was a nice surprise. 
Watch an ocean sunrise. Watched one in Melbourne Beach. Nothing like it. 
Eat at five restaurants I've never been to. Blue Gill in Gainesville (didn't love it, but I went there for brunch..I'll try again for their regular menu!), Felipe's Taqueria in Gainesville (BEST margaritas and really good "fast" food), Loosey's in Gainesville (Seriously my new favorite. Such delicious food and the best atmosphere), The Cottage in Siesta Key (Never in my life have I gone to a restaurant two nights in a row on purpose...but we did at The Cottage. It was that good. Best lobster bisque I've ever had in my life), and a little pizza place in St. Augustine that was approximately the size of a closet but had, no exaggeration, the best pizza I have ever had. I can't find their name, but I'll report back after I go there again (BECAUSE I WILL). 
Meet up with a friend I've met through blogging. I met up with Sam of Samantha Rose Says and we had margs (duh) and honestly the best time. She's the sweetest. I already felt like we were real life friends, and it was the best to see that she was just as great in person. LOVE YOU. 
Take a road trip. Done! To Siesta Key! 
Go to an outdoor concert. Kelsea's was an outdoor concert. I'll go to another indoor concert before the year is up!
Send Galentine's Day cards. Check! 
Build up a good essential oils collection. This has been so fun. The de-stress blends really work miracles. 
What about you? How's the year going? ALSO, one of mine on my original list is a double so I need one more...any suggestions?!

Bucket Lists + Pumpkin Spice Giveaway.

I love the idea of bucket lists, but I've never actually made a comprehensive one of all the things I want to do and places I want to go. Why? Because I'm afraid I won't actually get to do everything on there. I know, I know. But I worry about getting to the end of my very good life and having a list of things I never got to do. Or I worry about my life ending abruptly and I leave behind this list of unfinished business. I know, it's a weird thing to have anxiety over.

We'll be leaving Orlando in not too long, and I thought about making a bucket list of things I want to do before leaving here. But then, of course, I wondered how I would feel if I didn't get to mark everything off the list--a very real possibility with the new addition on the way. Would I feel cheated? Would it mess up the way I look back on my time in Orlando? Would thinking of Orlando make me sad if I didn't get to drink one last beer at my favorite bar or grab one more taco from my favorite place?

This morning, I woke up thinking about how stupid that is. I have an idea of an end date for our time in Orlando, but for life? Not so much. Life could be over abruptly, at any moment. Is that any reason to not plan and experience and make bucket lists? Of course not. In fact, it's even more of a reason to live every day like a bucket list--soaking up all I can and experiencing every bit of it.

So here's to making bucket lists, and to following through with them, or not. Here's to living every day like a bucket list--to getting up earlier to drive a little farther to meet a friend for breakfast. To taking the long way home. To getting lost on your lunch break. To slowing down and enjoying the day for all it's worth. To making a normal Tuesday night into something to celebrate.

Cheers to life--however long it may be.

Now, make your Tuesday a little happier and enter to win $45 dollars in pumpkin spice latte bucks. (It's really just a Starbucks card, but let's be honest--if you spend it on anything other than PSLs, you're just wrong).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Reverse Bucket List

When I saw The Lady Okie's post about this, I immediately thought it was genius.  I love the idea of bucket lists, but so often don't put something on there because it just seems sad to put something there that you're pretty sure will never happen.  Also, it's easy to look at other people's lives and feel jealous, but most of the time that's because we've forgotten all the good stuff we've already done.
So here are 47 things that if I would have made a bucket list 10 years ago, I probably should have put them on it.

The Reverse Bucket List: 

1. Graduated from high school with my A.A.

2. Flew in a plan that I was almost as tall as. 

 

3.  Seen the oldest church in the Bahamas. 

4.  Climbed a lighthouse in the bahamas.

5.  Stood in a window at the top of said lighthouse.

6. Gone treasure hunting in the Bahamas.

7.  Had bonfires on the beach. 

8.  Received many Christmas gifts like this from my mom. 

9.  Decorated cakes for Santa on Christmas Eve.  

10.  Seen the Universal Macy's Day Parade. 

11. Celebrated my birthday at Emeril's restaurant.

12.  Played cards with my pups. 

13.  Taken family photos in other countries. 

Seen this sign and still...

14. Went snorkeling in Ocala.

15.  Graduated College. 

16. Celebrated a year with Chris by climbing a lighthouse in St. Augustine, which happened to be infested with wasps when you got to the top. 

17.  Been on countless boating excursions with my family. 

 

18.  Saw One Republic at Universal with my brother. 

19. Saw One Republic, round two. 

20.  Went on a cruise.

21. Baked tons of mini pies for the best fall-themed wedding shower ever. 

22. Went to NYC and saw The Lion King on Broadway.

23. Rode with my little brother to my rehearsal dinner..where he stopped on the way to get sweet tea, even though we were late..and then turned around and went back when he discovered the sweet tea was rotten.  We listen to Grillz on repeat the entire time, and it was just what I needed to lighten up about the weekend. 

24. Went to Mood, Project Runway heaven.

25. Went to a silent headphone party in the middle of the street in New York. 

26. Eaten at In-N-Out burger with Meg.

27. Gotten fake tattoos in LA, also with Megan. 

28. Celebrated getting married with my best friends from all over. 

29. Gone to a Dodgers game. 

30. Jumped off cliffs in the great state of Arkansas. 

31. Seen Phillip Phillips with my mom. 

32. Introduced Christopher to his first funnel cake ever. 

33. Painted pretty things for local strippers to remind them that they have value. 

34. Dyed my hair like a rainbow. 

35. Celebrated turning 21 with my best friends. 

36. Played alien mini golf. 

37.Had a Christmas date that started with an owl on my head and ended with a ring on my finger. 

38. Gone wedding dress shopping with my mom, where I got to try on a million pretty dresses.

39.  Taken medicine to orphans in Haiti. 

40. Written letters to a girl in Africa, who wrote me back via picture the next morning. 

42. Celebrated Chris' birthday in Orlando's version of Italy

43.  Did a combination of the dougie/thriller/soulja boy/the twist for my father-daughter dance. 

44. Married my best friend.

{No pictures on my computer, but}

45.  Been to NYC with my mom and eaten at Bobby Flay's Restaurant

46. Had a first grade teaching internship

47. Taught an adult Com I class. 

Remembering all of these things has really reminded me of how full my life truly is.  I highly recommend it. 

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