Spending Your September: A To-Do List for Adventuring Through the Month.

1. Soak up what's left of summer. Go to the pool, wear your cutoffs, summer so hard until it's gone. 
2. Buy allllll the fruit. While it's still so good and so cheap! 
3. Unsubscribe from emails. This weekend, you will get an email from EVERY list you're on. Don't just delete, unsubscribe.
4. Enjoy the long weekend! I hope you're off work!  
5. Make a library holds list. Guys. Do this. Log on to your library, place holds, and someone else walks around the library picking up the books for you. You just walk in, grab your books, and leave. 
6. Donate to hurricane relief. You will not miss $10. Eat a meal at home instead of eating out. 
7. Send a thank you card. To your best friend for being great, to your library for having free books, to your neighbor for bringing your trash can in all the time...the possibilities are endless.
8. Pick a mantra for the month. Something simple that you really want to believe. Say it every single day. Write it down. Make it your phone screen background.Repeat it over and over. Some suggestions: You are actually amazing. You can do hard things. You are talented and will succeed. You are going to be okay. 
9. Take a peek back at your 2017 goals. Honestly, my goals probably resemble a dumpster fire. But there are 4 more months in 2017, and that's plenty of time to accomplish one or two things the January version of you had their hopes set on.
10. Make a list of restaurants in your town you want to try. Next time you want to go somewhere, avoid the hour-long purgatory of "I don't know, where do you want to go?" 
11. Pick a night of the week that you're not going to do non-fun to-do's on, no matter what. Stick to this. 
12. Make a list of the things that are overwhelming you. If it's possible to remove any of them, do it. If not, look at what else you can remove to make more space for these things so they become a little less overwhelming.
13. Make a list of the things that make you happiest in life. And do them more. 
14. Binge-watch a show before it comes back on. Ahem, Riverdale. Also, This is Us. 
15. Go get a pumpkin spice latte. Be basic, it's fine. 
16. Go thrifting. 
17. Have a bonfire. The perfect way to say goodbye to summer and hello to fall.
18. Perfect a charcuterie spread at home. Every time I see one of these on a menu somewhere for like $25, I wonder if people know they can have these at home. Bonus, eating meats and cheeses and olives for dinner will make you feel suuuuper fancy. 
19. Start going for more walks. For fresh air, for exercise, for your pets...whatever the reason, it's good to get outside.
20. Watch the sunrise (or sunset) over the water somewhere, with pumpkin coffee in hand. 
21. Look up fall fairs and festivals happening near you over the next few months.
22. Donate any clothes you went the whole summer without wearing. 
23. Bake cookies. Make more than you need and drop some off at a friend's house.
24. If you live somewhere like Florida, plan a trip to go see the leaves changing. 
25. Start a book club. Even if it's just you and a friend reading the same book and discussing it.
26. DIY a pumpkin creamer. I took one for the team and tried a bunch of them. Here you go. 
27. Pay for someone's coffee in line behind you. 
28. Have a beer-tasting night. September means lots of fall-flavored beers are released. Buy a few  of the most interesting ones and DIY your own flights. You might find a new favorite! 
29. Watch your favorite movie and eat popcorn for dinner. 
30. Print out some of your favorite pictures from the summer.  How will you be spending your month?

Spending Your February: A To-Do List for Adventuring Through the Month.

1. Take a look at those goals you made last month. Revise if necessary. 
2. Meet a friend for lunch. Yes, this takes time. And yes, it's totally worth it. Relationships are worth investing in.
3. Start planning a summer trip. If January's weather has you down, start planning a summer trip. Even if it's small, it's something to look forward to.
4. Pick one unhealthy thing to ditch for the month. If there was ever a month to try to try this, it's this one. Only 28 days! You can totally do that. I went the month of January with no fake coffee creamer (just coconut milk in my coffee) and 1) I feel a lot better, and 2) It's really empowering to make a decision and stick to it for a month...even if it's something small! 
5. Have a DIY fondue night. Melting pot ain't got nothing on you! 
6. Buy a pack of cheesy valentines and mail them to your friends. 
7. Throw away all the pens in your house that don't work/that you hate using. This may seem silly until you remember how frustrating it is to be in a hurry to write something down when you pick up three different pens before finding one that works.
8. Make a de-stress playlist. This doesn't have to be chill, slow music (but it can be!). Just anything that makes you happy! You know those songs from high school that just make you happy when you hear them? Those kinds of songs. 
9. Text an old friend and check-in. Everyone loves getting a "thinking of you" text out of nowhere. 
10. Send someone a love letter in the spirit of Valentine's Day. Get cheeeesy. 
11. Take a trip to the Target dollar spot. Because this: 

12. Bake something with chocolate. Blame it on Cupid. 
13. Celebrate Galentine's day. Make Leslie Knope proud. 
14. Celebrate Valentine's Day! Go out, stay in, get fancy and pop the champagne, stay in your pj's and order pizza...do something fun!
15. Motivate yourself to get up earlier by watching the sunrise. With coffee, of course.
16. Facetime your far away family or friends. We are so blessed to live in a time where it's easy to stay in touch...but we still have to actually make the effort to stay in touch.
17. Create more peaceful moments. When it seems like peaceful moments are few and far between, you have to create them for yourself. Go for a walk, do yoga, go to a favorite store...whatever it is that lets you quiet down your brain and recenter. 
18. Watch Beauty and the Beast. Relive your childhood in preparation for the release next month, when you will be seriously reliving your childhood.
19. Clean out your closet. For real this time. And don't just set clothes aside...drive them straight to the donation drop-off. Otherwise they'll end up in your trunk for approximately 3.5 years.
20. Secretly give someone flowers. It is SO DANG EXPENSIVE to send flowers. But Publix and Trader Joe's both have the most beautiful flowers for just a few dollars. Grab some and leave them on someone's windshield, or doorstep, or desk.
21. Invest in a pink lipstick that you LOVE. And by invest I mean spend about $5, because that's roughly what my favorite pink lipstick I wore in this picture cost.
22. Spend some time educating yourself on the current political climate. I don't mean reading facebook articles or listening to angry rants, I mean doing the research yourself and deciding for yourself where you stand. 
23. Be honest with yourself about the areas you waste time. This is hard. But, if you're finding yourself frazzled at the end of every day and haven't finished what you need to, it's worth thinking about. 
24. Exercise every day for a week in a row. To 1) prove to yourself you can do it, and 2) see how much better it makes you feel.
25. Try copy-catting your favorite out to eat meal. We live in the age of Pinterest and that means you can find a recipe for almost anything. 
26. Do more of what makes you happy. Plain and simple. More happy moments this month.
27. Look up towns close enough to you that you could do a weekend trip to. Keep a running list on your phone for when you get an unexpected free weekend and the wanderlust bug bites. 
28. Print out some of the pictures on your phone. You know, the ones you keep meaning to print. Just do it. 
This post contains affiliate links-full disclosure here.
How will you be spending this month?

Spending October: A To-Do List For Adventuring Through The Month.

October is here! We have officially entered into the most magical three months of the year, and I could not be happier. 

1. Make a list of the fun fall things you absolutely have to do. October will fly by, plan that pumpkin patch trip!
2. Get some mums. You might kill them within a week, but they're so pretty! And cheap! 
3. Drink alllll the pumpkin spice lattes. You can also make your own at home!
4. Take tons of fall pictures. Pumpkins, sunflowers, Halloween costumes...so many good photo-ops. 
5. Go to a pumpkin patch. The excitement level I have over taking Jack to his first ever pumpkin patch is insane. 
6. Buy your pet a costume. You know you want to.
7. Buy your baby (or kid or yourself) a costume. 
8. Carve pumpkins. 
9. Buy a new mug. Preferably in the shape of a pumpkin.
10. Start a new fall tradition with someone you love. 
11. Drink your coffee outside one morning. Under a blanket, if you're lucky enough to live somewhere with fall weather.
12. Read a thriller. I can't watch scary movies, but I LOVE reading a good thriller in October.
13. Decorate your front porch (or balcony).
14. Have a bonfire. Side note: It's so funny how in high school (and even college, really), bonfires were symbols of big parties. Now that I'm older, they're the signature of a great night just sitting around a fire and talking. I kind of like growing up. 
15. Go to a fall fair or festival happening in your town. 
16. Try out one of the new shows that premiered this season. Any suggestions??
17. Get your puppy a pumpkin. Cutest pictures ever, promise.
18. Make soup. I could eat soup for every meal in the fall! 
19. Set out some fall decorations. On the off chance that you didn't decorate on September 1st. 
20. Bake some pumpkin treats. Or apple treats!
21. Get yourself a fall hat. Floppy hats are perfect for fall. Also perfect for not actually doing anything to your hair. 
22. Go to Trader Joe's and try some of their pumpkin-flavored magic. If it tastes good in a pumpkin flavor, TJ's has it. 
23. Start checking the sales section every time you go to the store...with Christmas in mind. Save some money!
24. Throw a candy party.
25. Take advantage of the cooler weather and go on a walk.
26. Go apple-picking.
27. Go on a fall date.
28. Look up some crock-pot recipes. Cozy and easy. Win-win.
29. Buy Halloween candy. If you won't be home on Halloween, set out a bowl of candy for the trick-or-treaters. 
30. Go on a picnic. 
31. Celebrate Halloween! Throw a party or go out or stay in and watch scary movies. Have fun!
How will you be spending your October?

Spending Your June: A To-Do List for Adventuring Through the Month.

1. Make a summer playlist.
2. Invest in a hammock. I have been the proud owner of a new hammock for six days now and can confidently tell you, YOU NEED ONE.
3. Get a cute water bottle. It's getting hot out there, and dehydration ain't cute. 
4. Stop by a yard sale. 
5. Make your outdoor area somewhere you like spending time. Whether you have tons of land or a tiny backyard or a one-person balcony, do what you can to make it somewhere you want to hang out. 
6. Buy someone flowers at the grocery store. You're already there, so it costs you no extra time. Just $3 to make someone's day!
7. Make sweet tea.
8. Pre-make and freeze a bunch of smoothies. 
9. Go for a walk at sunset.
10. Find yourself a pool. Whether this means buying a membership somewhere or forcing someone who has a pool to be your friend or buying yourself a kiddy pool...do what ya gotta do. 
11. Binge-watch Gilmore Girls in preparation for the new mini-series!
12. Sidewalk chalk something! Leave a little love note in your driveway or the sidewalk in front of your favorite coffee shop!
13. Make pitchers of fruity water. 
14. Make grilled pizza. The perfect summer dinner.
15. Buy (or build!) an outdoor game. Giant jenga or corn hole!
16. Go to Home Depot. For no reason. And then leave with 87 project ideas. 
17. Have a movie night. 
18. Eat popcorn for dinner. 
19. Buy a tropical scented candle for summer.
20. Revisit a project you let fall to the wayside. That book you were writing or that dress you were making or that room you were redecorating, and just stopped. 
21. Learn to play a new card game. Poker! Blackjack! Gin Rummy! Learn them all. 
22. Send someone a handwritten card... without ever having to leave the house.
23. Remind yourself of all those things you said in January that you wanted to accomplish this year. June is the halfway mark of 2016!
24. Make grilled blueberry muffins. I know it's bikini season, so I'm sorry. But cut a muffin in half, butter it, and throw it in a pan or on a grill. 
25. Print some pictures that make you happy and tape them up. 
26. Go without makeup. It's too hot for all that. 
27. Go to the library. 
28. Try out some new grill recipes. 
29. Go to a restaurant you've heard nothing about. 
30. Make homemade popsicles. 
How will you be spending your June?

Spending Your May: A To-Do List for Adventuring Through the Month.

Happy May! I am so excited about this month. We've got a vacation, Chris' graduation, and it's the start of Jack's first summer!

There are 31 days this month, so let's make them count. As always, I have a few ideas on how you should spend those days!

1. Perfect your iced coffee making skills.

2. Plan a trip to the beach. No summer should pass without a trip to the beach!

3. Make homemade sushi. 

4. Make a summer reading list. 

5. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Quesoquesoqueso!

6. Thank a teacher. Teacher's appreciation week is a thing, but when's the last time you said thank you to a teacher you know?

7. Tackle as many of the not-so-fun to-dos you have in one day as possible. 

8. Celebrate Mother's Day.

9. Make your outdoor area somewhere you like to be. Whether you have an entire backyard or a tiny balcony, clean it up and spend some more time out there.

10. Play mini golf.

11. DIY a cheaper version of something you've had your eye on. An art piece or a home update...you'd be surprised at how many things you can copy for less money. Plus, it's fun!

12. Write down the three biggest goals you have at the moment and hang them somewhere you can see them every day.

13. Plan a quick vacation. This can mean taking a week off and going to another city, or just turning your phone off on a Saturday and doing fun things around your town.

14. Evaluate what you'd like to do before this decade of your life is over. 20's? 40's? 60's? What do you want to have done when that first number flips over again? Do your decade justice.

15. Make grilled pizza. 

16. Stop on the way home from work and pick up the supplies for a project you've been meaning to do. Hello, Home Depot!

17. Learn something useful. Like how to do CPR or how to change a tire.

18. Make a summer bucket list. 

19. Go to a flea market. Or antique shopping!

20. Write someone a thank you note.

21. Read an entire book. Make yourself actually finish it.

22. Put together a first aid kit to keep in your car.

23. Learn how to bake an apple pie. If you start now, you can perfect it by the 4th of July!

24. Plan a road trip. Anywhere is acceptable, as long as there is good music and good snacks involved.

25. Experiment with making different iced teas. 

26. Go stargazing. It's a summer cliche for a reason!

27. Print a few of the 10,000 pictures you have on your phone. Download the Shutterfly app, they're always running free print specials.

28. Buy or make someone a gift without having a special occasion to do so. 

29. Remember you favorite thing about summer as a kid. Make time to do that before September rolls around.

30. Have an 80's movie marathon.

31. Make a list of all the places you can get to on one tank of gas. When you have a free afternoon, look at your list!

How will you be spending your May?

Spending Your March: A To-Do List For Adventuring Through The Month.

1. Start planning a mini summer vacation.

2. Rent all the movies in a series and spend the weekend watching them. My suggestion: Oceans 11, 12, and 13.

3. Take your coffee to-go and watch the sunrise. 

4. Donate the winter clothes you never even wore this winter.

5. Make a dinner out of tiny appetizers. 

6. Do some spring cleaning. Try your hand at the 27-fling boogie.

7. Follow the warm weather to a farmer's market!

8. Drive to the nearest beach (or lake!) and spend the day by the water.

9. Make this queso. It legitimately tastes exactly like Chili's.

10. Get in the St. Patrick's Day Spirit by making other people have a lucky day. Pay for someone's coffee, give someone else the best parking spot, etc.

11. Try a new brand/flavor of coffee. 

12. Take a look at your New Years Goals. Revise if necessary.

13. Make it a point to spend some time outside on every sunny day.

14. Make your own flavored water. Experiment with different fruits and herbs until you find something you love!

15. Take up running. Or pilates. Or whatever fitness thing you're always talking about wanting to get into.

16. Make green drinks. 

17. Celebrate St. Patrick's Day!

18. Go wine tasting.

19. Make someone an Easter basket. 

20. If you have a backyard, set up a hammock. If you don't, get a blanket you can take outside to soak up the sunshine.

21. Buy a new outfit for Easter. 

22. Download Audible.

23. Mail someone a card. 

24. Go to the gym.

25. Dye Easter eggs.

26. Try a new brunch place.

27. Celebrate Easter.

28. Hit up the discounted Easter candy. Jelly beans forever.

29. Make a spring reading list.

30. Tell someone why you're thankful for them.

31. Buy yourself fresh flowers.

How will you be spending your March?

Spending Your January: A To-Do List for Adventuring Through the Month.

1. Celebrate the fact that it's a new year! We make such a big deal over Christmas that we sometimes gloss over the fact that we finished a whole year, and we're starting a brand new one. That's an exciting thing! Celebrate it!

2. Set some time aside to make some resolutions and goals. If you need some help, try answering these questions.

3. Pick a word for your year. Here's mine!

4. Take one step towards each of your goals.

5. Cook something new!

6. Buy a 2016 journal.

7. Make one of those holiday desserts you never got around to trying. 

8. Do something kind for someone. Start 2016 off on the right foot by paying it forward.

9. Make an effort to be positive about your job. Spend an entire day looking for the good things about your job, and don't complain about it for 24 hours.

10. Do one thing that makes waking up more pleasant. Whether this is going to bed earlier or making the coffee before you go to bed, finding a way to enjoy mornings is a game-changer.

11. Send someone a card. Since the holidays are over, it will be a surprise!

12. Go bowling.

13. Research your city like you would if you were going on a vacation there. See what new places you can discover!

14. Make a new music playlist. 

15. Journal about what you hope 2016 will look like for you. If you could decide how this year was going to turn out, what would you want?

16. Look up cheap, healthy recipes. Cheers to cooking more and eating out less this year!

17. Go on a coffee date.

18. Buy a board game. 

19. Have a movie night at home.

20. Pick a few complicated drinks or dishes you want to learn to make this year. If you give yourself a year, you can learn to cook anything!

21. Buy a planner.

22. Keep a running list of movies you want to see. That way you don't end up staring blankly at the red box machine come Friday night.

23. Read a book that relates to a goal you have. 

24. Pull out that holiday cocktail dress and go on one more fancy date. 

25. Go out of your way to show someone you love them.

26. Have breakfast in bed. 

27. Find a cheap bottle of wine you like. It makes grocery runs a lot easier!

28. Take a day off and relax. 

29. Plan a staycation. Don't just request days off of work, actually plan it like you would a vacation!

30. Look up smoothie recipes. Detox from the holiday food with some fruits and veggies!

31. Practice giving yourself grace. Remember that each day can be a fresh start, no matter what the day before looked like or how much you feel like you failed. It's never too late to start new!

How will you be spending your January?

Spending Your December: A To-Do List for Adventuring Through the Most Magical Month of the Year.

It's here! The most magical month of the year has arrived! I promise, it will fly by faster than any other month, so take charge of it and decide how you want to spend it. Of course, I have plenty of ideas. 

1. Make a countdown to Christmas. There are so many cute ideas for this online. Why buy an advent calendar when you can make your own? I've seen them with 25 different candies, flavored beers, Christmas movies...they can be as extravagant or as simple as you want. Just make something that will make counting down to the 25th fun!

2. Decorate for Christmas! If you didn't do this the second after Thanksgiving, like I did, do it now!

3. Make some Christmas music stations. I would say "make a Christmas mixed CD," but we both know you're just going to make a pandora station.

4. Dress your dog up like Santa. Or a reindeer. Or an elf. The possibilities are endless.

5. Buy or make someone a gift in secret. Like I've said, being generous does not have to be expensive. $5 can make someone's whole week.

6. Decorate gingerbread houses.

7. Go on a Christmas light scavenger hunt. I'll post more about this soon!

8. Have a classic Christmas movie night. Whether you watch the old classics, like It's a Wonderful Life, or the newer classics, like Elf and Home Alone...pop some popcorn, make some hot chocolate, and have a marathon.

9. Buy new pajamas to wear on Christmas Eve. I'm going to use being pregnant as my excuse to wear them all day on Christmas.

10. Play Dirty Santa. The best part of any Christmas party!

11. Kiss someone under mistletoe. 

12. Make Christmas cookies. 

13. Do a 12 days of Christmas for someone. Growing up, there would be a stocking hanging on my door with a cute little trinket in it every day in the 12 days leading up to Christmas. My mom got most of these things at the dollar store, but it added so much to Christmas and it was so fun to wake up to a little gift every day.

Note: You can also do a grown-up version of this. I am married and pregnant, yet still cannot bring myself to write about these things on the internet. But if you want to make your man's Christmas, google "12 lays of Christmas." (So sorry, Dad.) 

14. Look into Christmas festivities in your town. Most towns offer fun things around Christmastime...parades, Christmas tree lightings, that sort of thing!

15. Send Christmas cards. I've never been one to want to take pictures and have professional Christmas cards to send out each year, but there's something fun about picking up a pack of cards from the dollar store and sending them to your loved ones.

16. Plan a Christmas dinner. It doesn't have to be on Christmas, but plan to cook something fun and festive!

17. Start a Christmas devotional. It's nice to remind yourself what it's all about.

18. Watch the Grinch. And The Holiday. And Elf. And...I will have a list for you soon.

19. Have a full on Christmas day. Maybe your schedule is hectic this year and won't allow for lots of days spent celebrating. If that's the case, dedicate one day to doing all your favorite holiday things. Bake cookies, watch movies, go shopping..whatever it is that you love doing around Christmastime.

20. Make cookies for Santa. I don't care that we're still kid-less, me and Chris make cookies for Santa. And we get to eat them without having to be sneaky about it. Sorry, Santa.

21. Take way too many no-pressure pictures. Snap up the memories, and don't worry too much about posing the perfect picture. Just capture life!

22. Go on a Christmas date. 

23. Make the most of a festive month, whether you have money to spend or not. I'll let you in on a secret: We're having a baby next month. We've been flying all over for residency interviews. So to say that we aren't exactly in a situation to blow tons of money on every single day of celebrating Christmas would be accurate. But you don't have to spend money to celebrate. 

Take advantage of a season where everything feels more festive. Listen to Christmas music while you cook dinner (free). Go for a walk and look at Christmas lights (free). Make shopping for gifts for your family into a date (free-you would have done the shopping anyway). Just make the most of celebrating the most magical time of the year, and don't get hung up on money.

24. Exchange a gift on Christmas Eve. I'm pretty sure that this tradition started when I was little because the temperature had dropped a lot on Christmas Eve, and my parents had bought me and my brother new coats for Christmas. Either way, growing up, we got to open one present on Christmas Eve. Obviously. I have made Christopher continue this tradition.

25. Soak up every bit of magic that Christmas Day has to offer. This day is scientifically proven to fly by faster than any other day of the whole year. Soak it all in.

26. Combat the Christmas hangover. Whether you do this by staying in bed and watching movies all day or going out on the town, do something fun! Me, I'll be freaking out over how it's almost time to have a baby. Don't mind me.

27. Go for a hot-cocoa walk and soak up the last bit of the town being covered in Christmas. 

28. Return/exchange any gifts. Let's be honest: If you don't do this soon, you won't get around to it until it's too late.

29. Bundle up and have a late night picnic under the stars. With hot cocoa!

30. Write a letter to 2015.

31. Celebrate New Years! 

How will you be spending the best month of the year?

Spending Your November: A To-Do List for Adventuring Through the Month.

Happy November! November is such a magical month because at the beginning of it, we get full-blown fall, and by the end of it, it's time to celebrate Christmas. If that isn't a good month, I don't know what is.

There are 30 amazing days in November, and you get to decide how to spend them. Here are my suggestions:

1. Drink a Caramel Apple Spice Cider.

2. Participate in NaNoWriMo. 

3. Swing by Trader Joe's and pick up some fall goodness. I especially recommend the pumpkin butter, the pumpkin chai latte mix, and the pumpkin roobios tea.

5. Make a list of soups, hot drinks, and other November goodness you want to make. If there was ever a month to make soup for almost every meal, it's November.

6. Practice Thankfulness all month long. It's not just for Thanksgiving!

7. Remember that sometimes, the best part of the holidays is just being. We can get so caught up in making holiday plans and wanting to make sure we get to do everything we love about a certain season, but sometimes the best part is just relaxing, soaking up all the best parts of fall and Thanksgiving.

8. Get a fall picnic blanket. I realize that in some places, it's starting to get too cold for picnics, but here in Florida, we're just hitting prime picnic blanket weather. Even if it's too cold where you are, get a picnic blanket, light some candles, and have an indoor picnic--it's just as fun!

9. Make apple-cider sangria. Perfect for your picnic! Also, please drink a glass for me. I love this baby, but I miss fall drinks.

10. Plan a Thanksgiving date. A thanksgiving celebration for just you and your boo!

11. Plan your Thanksgiving. Are you traveling? Having company? Cooking something? Make your game plan!

12. Take some time for yourself and reflect on everything you're thankful for about 2015. Every November, I sit outside with a cup of pumpkin coffee and my journal, and write down the biggest things I'm thankful for since last Thanksgiving.

13. Watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.

14. Light some fall candles in the morning before turning all the lights on. I've been doing this in the mornings while I drink my coffee and it is so cozy. Second best thing to having a fire place!

15. Check your fall list-anything you really wanted to do that didn't happen? Don't pressure yourself to get everything done, but was there something you were really looking forward to that just hasn't happened yet? Do it!

16. Make a list of everyone you need to buy Christmas gifts for. 

17. Pick up a winter candy apple lotion from Bath & Body Works. 

18. Make a Thanksgiving craft. Place cards for Thanksgiving dinner, or a banner that says thankful, or whatever you want!

19. Bundle up and go for a walk. Walks during chilly weather just make you feel alive.

20. Go crazy and really clean your house before the holidays. You'll be so happy you did!

21. Make a list of Black Friday things to be on the lookout for. 

22. Write Thanksgiving letters or cards to the people you love. 

23. Spend an afternoon with your significant other and talk about what you're thankful for. Go to a park or a coffee shop and talk about why you're thankful for each other.

24. Start a Thanksgiving tradition. 

25. Watch the Macy's Day Parade. 

26. Celebrate Thanksgiving! 

27. Watch Elf! My family always watched this Thanksgiving night to celebrate the start of Christmas!

28. Break out the Christmas decorations! The day after Thanksgiving, of course.

29. Get your first red cup of the season! White chocolate peppermint mocha! It's Christmastime, people!

30. Catch up on the sleep you lost over Black Friday by laying in bed, drinking hot chocolate, and watching Christmas movies. Hello, perfect day.

How will you be spending your November?

Spending Your October: A To-Do List for Adventuring Through the Month.

Happy October! It's one of the best months of the year, and it's definitely one of my favorite months to spend. We get thirty-one days of October magic, so make sure you spend them well! Here are some ideas to get you started. 

1. Go to a pumpkin patch! The best location for cute pictures, ever.

2. Carve pumpkins. Quick story: One time, we were carving pumpkins outside (in the dark), and Chris was throwing pumpkin slime at me. Some of it hit my face, but I was really focused on what I was doing, so I left it there for a second while I finished what I was carving. But then it started sliding down my neck. Except it wasn't sliding, it was crawling. And making noise. Because it wasn't pumpkin slime, it was a frog. 

A frog landed on my face and I just left it there because I thought it was pumpkin. 

Moving on. 

3. Make hot apple cider. Put this on the stove (or in the crockpot!) in the morning, and your house will smell amazing all day.

4. Look up fairs around you! It's the time of the year where fairs and festivals pop up all over!

5. Read a thriller. Last October I read Gone Girl...stay tuned for this year's choice. 

6. Bake something with pumpkin. 

7. Watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

8. Have a make-your-own-candy party!

9. Make caramel apples! Pro tip: After you make them and cover them in whatever your heart desires, use an apple cutter to cut them into slices that you can actually eat, as opposed to getting 90% caramel on your face and 10% actually in your mouth.

10. Go thrifting for oversized sweaters and baggy sweatshirts.

11. Each time you feel thankful for something, say so out loud. Work on voicing your gratitude instead of your complaints.

12. Check out Bath & Body Works' fall line. Smell like a pumpkin, or an apple. Up to you!

13. Watch the Friday Night Lights Pilot. I was shocked by how many of you told me you'd never seen this show!

14. Go on a fall date. With your boyfriend or your husband or your best friend or your sibling...just have a night of your favorite fall things!

15. Go to Target, grab a pumpkin spice latte, and browse the halloween costume section. Once you've had your laughs at the adult costumes (the best), then move on to the pet section. 

16. Get the Sephora Play! Box. It blows Birchbox out of the water, let me tell you!

17. Make an effort to love out loud. I think that so often, I just assume that the people I love know I love them. This month, make an effort to say so more, both with words and actions.

18. Pop some popcorn and celebrate the return of fall television! Scandal! Blacklist! Welcome back!

19. Make a list of some fall traditions you want to start! You know I will have some suggestions for this.

20. Bake something with apples.

21. Decorate your house for fall. 

22. If you have a dog, buy them a pumpkin. Gatsby got his own tiny pumpkin last year and I really don't know who it brought more joy to: Me or him. 

23. Drive somewhere the leaves are turning colors. Just enjoy how pretty everything is in October!

24. Have a picnic. October is prime picnic season.

25. Spend a morning outside, reading a good book.

26. Have a bon-fire. Bonus points for s'mores!

27. Go stargazing. Grab a blanket and go lay in the grass or on a roof and just watch the stars. 

28. Go for a walk. Pour yourself a hot drink and just go for a walk without the intention of really getting anywhere, but just to enjoy it.

29. Surprise your co-workers or roommates with Halloween candy.

30. Dress your pet up for Halloween. You know you want to.

31. Celebrate Halloween however you want to!

Spending Your September: A To-Do List for Adventuring Through the Month.

Happy September! September 1st ushers in my favorite time of the year (September 1st-January 1st), the most magical time of the year, if you ask me. So today is a good day!

There are 30 magical days in September, and whether you choose to spend them or not, in 30 days, they'll be gone. So take charge of life and enjoy every single one of them. As always, I have some suggestions. 

1. CELEBRATE FALL. September 1st is my national celebrate fall day. Yes, it's early. But life is short and I really like pumpkins, okay?

2. Spend an afternoon by the pool and soak up the last of summertime.

3. Enjoy the last of fresh summer fruit. There is a beautiful time when you can be in a autumn-decorated house that smells like pumpkins while you are enjoying peaches and watermelon. It's the golden hour, my friends. Enjoy it.

4. Put your planner to use. I don't know about you, but this month seems to fly right into October, which flies right into Thanksgiving, which flies right into Christmas every single year for me. If you have things you need to do over this season, write them down now. 

5. Hit up Starbucks for your first pumpkin spice latte of the season. One of the most joyful days of the year!

6. Try copycatting the PSL at home. 

7. Journal. Fall always puts me in the mood to curl up with a pumpkin spice coffee and write about life. If you need some help getting started on this one, click here and here.

8. Throw stuff away. We are entering a season where you will inevitably end up with some more stuff. Get rid of the stuff you no longer love!

9. Stalk your local grocery store for pumpkin flavored creamer. Tweet them if necessary.

10. Download an audiobook. 

11. Set your alarm a little early so you can spend a little extra time in bed in the morning with your coffee. Do this once, and I bet you'll do it again. August makes me want to sleep in and scarf down coffee on the way to work every day; September makes me want to wake up in time to enjoy the morning.

12. Buy some sunflowers. Real or fake, they make your house look happier.

13. Go to Hobby Lobby and get some pumpkin decorations. And when someone tries to tell you that it's too early for that, you just tell them that I've had my decorations out since September 1st. So there.

14. Talk about your Thanksgiving plans with your significant other. Yes, it's early, but this is the very best holiday related marriage advice I can possibly give: Make your holiday plans early. Make them, clear them with everyone, and stick to them. If you plan early, then any fighting about how much time you spend where also happens early, and it doesn't ruin the magic of the holidays. DO IT.

15. Start a fall-themed pinterest board. 

16. Make a fall bucket list. 

17. Buy pumpkin/apple/fall scented candles.

18. Watch a sunset. A whole hour earlier, now.

19. Make an Autumn in New York Pandora or iTunes station and let Frank Sinatra and Harry Connick Jr. swoon you with all the Autumn feels.

20. Get some fall colored nail polish. Put away the neons and break out the darker colors!

21. Plan a fall date night. This is one of my favorite things ever. We have a fall date every October, which is obviously the best month for a fall date. But once you're an adult, things take a lot more planning and scheduling. So start planning now!

22. Make a playlist of songs that remind you of the changing seasons. Mine has All Too Well, Come Away with Me, Wildest Dreams, Autumn in New York, The Way You Look Tonight, It Had to be You and about a thousand more.

23. Buy something new and fall colored. When the fall clothes hit stores, it makes me want to buy an entire new wardrobe. Since that's just not feasible, I like to buy at least one thing--a new sweater or a pair of boots or a hat--that makes me feel like I'm ready for fall.

24. Find a workout you like. This is the season of eating tons and tons of baked deliciousness. Better try to combat that a little bit. I, however, will be taking full advantage of my first holiday season being pregnant. Give me all the cupcakes, ever. It's for the baby.

25. Look through those cookbooks your mom gave you. Summer is the season of salads and easily thrown-together meals, but fall is the season of cooking more. Try it!

26. Take a minute (or an hour, or a morning) and just be thankful. Set aside some time to focus on the good about where you are in life right now. Even if it's not where you thought you would be, think of everything you have to be thankful for this season. It really sets the tone for your month.

27. Surprise someone with a coffee. A pumpkin spice, preferably.

28. Decide your priorities. Fall is such a cozy season, but it also brings along the hustle and bustle that won't leave until after the holidays. Decide your priorities so you don't get overwhelmed.

29. Start thinking about Christmas gift ideas. I know, it's entirely too early. No, I don't start celebrating Christmas early, too. But here's the thing: If you have a loose list of who you need to buy gifts for/what you want to buy, you can start being on the lookout for sales and cheap ideas, which saves a lot of money in the long run!

30. Make an effort to make more meals at home. Speaking of money, we're entering into a season where a lot of it will be spent. Cooking at home saves SO much money, and it can just add to the coziness of fall. Do it!

How will you be spending your September?

Spending Your August: A To-Do List for Adventuring Through the Month.

Happy August! Let me just be redundant for a second and ask HOW is it already August?! We're quickly approaching my favorite part of the year!

There are 31 days in August, and you get to decide how to spend them. Of course, I have some suggestions.

1. Go see Paper Towns!

2. Pick one area of your house and make it perfect. We get so caught up with all we want in our perfect dream house that we can get overwhelmed with how expensive everything is. But that doesn't mean you can't change anything! Pick one area--the bathroom or your desk or the kitchen--and make it perfect. Organize and buy pretty things and hang pictures and just make it perfect.

3. Make a coke float. Or an ice cream sundae, or something you haven't had in awhile.

4. Click here and remember how much you miss Friday Night Lights. And then give them all your money because you definitely need all of these things.

5. Remove one stressful thing from your life. Whether it be a messy drawer or a toxic friendship, get rid of it.

6. Write your significant other a love note, just because.

7. Go to Party City and buy whatever decorations/props are in the clearance section, and throw a dinner party based on those. Cinco de Mayo in August? Why not!

8. Make a playlist of all your favorite songs from high school.

9. Get a planner! If summer is the season of laid back, fall is the season of getting organized. Even if you're not going back to school, you need a planner. I have this one and this one and they are magical.

10. Order something you've never tried at your favorite restaurant. 

11. Watch the Pretty Little Liars finale and find out who A is. Except JK, because they're never going to answer this.

12. Work on viewing Mondays differently. 

13. Forgive someone. Whether it's a grudge you've been holding for years or just someone who cut you off in traffic, forgiving someone and letting it go just feels good.

14. Give yourself a break and just eat cereal for dinner. 

15. Reread a favorite book. 

16. Start a wanderlust Pinterest board. Plan your dream vacation!

17. Go see a morning movie. Safe yourself some money!

18. Make lemonade. 

19. Spend an hour dreaming. Whether it's looking at job openings or new towns or just spending an hour working on a project, dream a little bit.

20. Invest in a good self-tanner. Fall is coming and so is your pasty white skin.

21. Make dinner with only what you already have. 

22. Get rid of five things you don't need.

23. Every time you go to Target, browse the dollar section for potential Christmas gifts. Seriously--I got so many good gifts for $3 and under last year! Start looking now!

24. Spend an afternoon by the pool. Enjoy the remaining warm weather.

25. Go on a fro-yo date. Because eating a bow full of gummy bears and captain crunch is only bad if it's on top of ice cream. Yogurt is totally healthy.

26. Buy some new lipstick. 

27. Listen to Serial. 

28. Get a crockpot. Mine has been saving my life this month.

29. Go school supply shopping. The fact that you're not going back to school is not important.

30. Buy fresh flowers at the grocery store. Just because.

31. Get a new journal. Changing seasons (we all know I start celebrating fall in September, because duh) deserve new journals.

How will you be spending your August?

Spending Your June: A To-Do List for Adventuring Through This Month.

1. Plan a staycation. Explore your own city-vacation without paying for a hotel!

2. Take advantage of how cheap fruit is during the summer months. Eat berries and cherries and melon galore.

3. Look up flea markets/drive-ins/farmer's markets that may only be open in the summer. 

4. Make a list of all you hope to do this summer. If it feels like you won't have enough time, consider giving some things up for a little while...like Facebook.

5. Take more pictures! 

6. Make a summer playlist. 

7. Pick a town in your state that you've never been to and spend the day there.

8. Take a comedy break and watch an SNL short. I highly recommend looking up the Shy Ronnie skits.

9. Make plans to see out of town friends or family before the fall. 

10. Learn a card game you've never played before. 

11. Work on your homemade ice cream skills. 

12. Learn one thing about each person who has announced they want to run for president. Look instantly smarter in conversations.

13. DIY a backyard game. Giant Jenga or tic-tac-toe!

14. Get new books from the library and spend the day reading. 

15. Spend an entire day at the pool. 

16. Make a Bachelorette bracket. It can hang on your refrigerator in shame.

17. Set up a little reading/writing nook in your house.

18. Experiment with iced tea recipes. 

19. Make S'mores. 

20. Download the GIF keyboard to your phone. And all of your text responses will win, forever.

21. Have a dinner party where you see how many versions of mac and cheese you can make. And by dinner party, I mean cook yourself dinner.

22. Go swimming at night. 

23. It's hot outside...go without all the makeup for a day here and there. Or all summer, because you can.

24. Order a Ban.do planner. So you don't have regrets when they're all sold out in August.

25. Plan a cookout. Or several.

26. Make your 4th of July plans. 

27. Make homemade lemonade. 

28. Send someone a thank you card. 

29. Invest in a popsicle mold. 

30. Throw a Hawaiian luau-themed dinner party. With these. And these. And definitely this.

What's on your to-do list for this month?

Spending May: A To-Do List for Adventuring Through the Month.

1. Play mini golf.

2. Call in sick and go to the beach. Or the pool, or a park.

3. Make your summer reading list. I've got some suggestions.

4. Go for a walk and take pictures of things in your neighborhood. Sometimes when you see something every day, you can forget how beautiful it is.

5. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Tacos and queso and guac, oh my.

6. Start a new show on Netflix.

7. Find a hammock (or at least a really comfortable chair) and spend the day reading. 

8. Have a movie night where you only watch movies that you actually own. Because there was a day before Red Box when you actually purchased movies.

9. Get a library card.

10. Dedicate a night to a project you've been meaning to get to forever. 

11. Every Monday, write down three things you're thankful for. Your week will be at least ten percent better because of this.

12. Invite your family (or friends that are family) over for dinner. 

13. Have a bonfire.

14. Make it a point to spend some time outside every day.

15. Have your own wine tasting party. It's cheaper, and you get to try wines that you know you'll like, instead of paying a bunch of money to pretend you like the wine that is literally described as having hints of pencil shavings and leather. Also, unlimited cheese. Yes.

16. Make your own ice cream. Look how adorable this ice cream maker is!

17. Plan your summer road trip.

18. Make grilled pizza. If you've never done this, I would be more than happy to share how we do it!

19. Spend more time in the sun and less time looking at a screen.

20. Bring a coworker coffee or breakfast and leave it on their desk with a note. 

21. Say yes to more. Ask yourself your reasons when your first instinct is to say no: Is it because you're afraid or don't think you're good enough? If that's the case, change your answer.

22. Say no to more. Did you say yes just because you feel obligated or don't want to upset someone? If so, change your answer. Life is too short to not have any time to yourself because you gave all of yours away out of obligation.

23. Learn to cook something new. 

24. Go to a theme park or a fair. If you live near a theme park, I highly suggest season passes. They're way more affordable than you might think!

25. Read these. And then write your heart out.

26. Make your own ice cream sandwiches.

27. Go see Pitch Perfect 2.

28. Find a sangria or summer cocktail recipe you really like. And save yourself a ton of money in the process.

29. Spend a day by the pool with no plans whatsoever. 

30. Watch a sunset over the water. Or at least by the water.

31. Make S'mores. Nothing says summer quite like burnt marshmallows.

Spending April: A To-Do List for Adventuring Through the Month.

There are thirty days in April. I hope you get the most out of every single one of them. But the only way that's going to happen is if you choose how to spend them instead of just letting them fly by you. As always, I have some suggestions!

1. Play a joke on someone in the spirit of April Fools.

2. Make someone an Easter basket.

3. Dye Easter eggs. Are you ever too old for this? The answer is no.

4. Make yourself an Easter basket. 

5. Celebrate Easter. With your friends, family, or just yourself!

6. Make a springtime bucket list.

7. Watch some old Audrey Hepburn movies. I don't know why, but springtime always makes me want to turn on some black and white movies.

8. Do one thing you've never done before. 

9. Go through an entire day complimenting every person you talk to. Compliments are free and easy to give and often make someone's entire day.

10. Stock up on the discounted Jelly Beans. 

11. Go to a farmer's market. Then cook dinner with whatever you found there.

12. Go on a picnic. Because hello, spring weather.

13. Make your summer reading list.

14. Push yourself to drink more water than you normally do.

15. Pump yourself up for next month's release by re-watching Pitch Perfect.

16. Plan a road trip. Cross-country or just one town over, road trips are a must in warm weather.

17. Take some time to write out your goals for this summer. They don't have to be big, serious goals. Just write down what you want to get out of the summer.

18. Throw a dinner party. For no reason at all. Go to Party City and get fun decorations, buy the fancier stuff at the grocery store. It's April, and that is worth celebrating.

19. Look up outdoor concerts in your area.

20. Take a few minutes every morning to look up an inspiring quote or verse and make that your mantra for the day.

21. Spend an afternoon on a swing or a hammock. 

22. Take a picture of everything you come across that inspires you.

23. When you have free time, put away your phone and read a book instead.

24. Take a trip to Hobby Lobby with no list. And leave with supplies for at least one fun project.

25. Look up new recipes for fresh fruits and veggies. 

26. Take a road trip to the nearest drive-in. 

27. Pick one thing you want to better about yourself this month.

28. Find a rooftop to have dinner on under the stars. Or a patio, or a backyard.

29. Look up recipes for fruit infused water to make drinking more water easier!

30. For at least a week, make it a point to see either the sunrise or the sunset.

Spending March: A To-Do List for Adventuring Through the Month.

1. Get that haircut you've been talking about forever.

2. Make a list of all the not-so-fun things you need to do in March. If you start now and spend a few minutes a day on them, they'll be done in no time.

3. Handwrite a letter. 

4. Download the blogilates app. Because bathing suit season is upon us, my friends.

5. Watch Parenthood from the beginning. 

6. Start planning a road trip for summer. 

7. Practice your iced coffee making skills. 

8. Download an audiobook. Instead of turing on the radio on your commute, listen to a book.

9. Buy some spring-colored nail polish.

10. Go through your closet. You know all those clothes you didn't wear last summer, or this winter, but are still in your closet? Let 'em go.

11. Wake up 15 minutes earlier than you normally do. And have an extra 15 minutes to spend on yourself.

12. Buy yourself some new workout clothes. Nothing inspires you to work out quite like looking cute while doing so.

13. Make an outdoor bucket list. Picnics? Concerts? Yes, please.

14. Write a poem. 

15. Adopt a puppy. 

16. Pay for the coffee of the person behind you in line. 

17. Make green cocktails.

18. Work on being present. Leave your phone alone every now and then.

19. Delete your old emails. 

20. Have a night where you make your favorite meal and watch your favorite movie. Bonus points if you turn your phone off, too.

21. Find a drive-in. Or a park that plays outdoor movies!

22. Get a cute water bottle or tumbler. And drink more water!

23. Pick one of your resolutions you're not doing so hot on and work on it this month. 

24. Secretly give someone a gift. The dollar section at Target is just full of fun things to secretly leave on someone's desk!

25. Plan a trip to the beach. Your favorite beach...or any beach! Don't let the warm weather months pass you by without swimming in the ocean at least once.

26. Wear flowers in your hair. At least once. But let's get real, now through September is prime hair flower-wearing time.

27.  Write book reviews for all the books you've read this year. 

28. Go to Sonic. Because eating cheese tots and drinking a cherry limeade with your feet hanging out the window is lunch-break bliss.

29. Go see a movie premiere at midnight.

30. Learn a new card game. 

31. Enter to win a tiny Polaroid camera!

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Spending your February: A To-do List.

Happy February! It's the month of love and pink and candy! There are 28 days in February (isn't that weird?), and you get to choose how to spend them. As always, I have some suggestions. 

1. Make chocolate covered strawberries. Or chocolate covered anything, really.

2. Journal every day this month. Need some ideas to help you get started? I've got you covered.

3. Look up happy hours near you. After discovering how many places around here do happy hours, I have no idea why people ever pay full price for a meal. Our favorite sushi place does one where nothing is over $5. Um, yes please.

4. Evaluate on how you're doing on those New Year's resolutions and goals. 

5. Plan what you're going to do on Valentine's Day. Will you be staying in? Going out? Being Martha Stewart? Ordering Pizza? Whatever it is, have fun with it.

6. Have a picnic. If you live in the north, have an inside picnic. 

7. Peruse the Valentine's Day section at Target. 

8. Make a Valentine's playlist. 

9. Go try something out at Lush. I have just been introduced to the wonderful world of the charcoal face scrub. It's worth every bit of the hype.

10. Send someone a love letter.

11. Make a Valentine's Day craft. Hello, pinterest.

12. Go thrifting. Give yourself a budget, and then hit up some consignment shops and try to find an entire outfit for that amount of money.

13. Send Galentine's Day cards/emails/texts. 

14. Go to a Farmer's market. 

15. Make brunch at home. For real brunch, not cereal brunch. Waffles and muffins and mimosas and the whole nine yards.

16. Find a hot tea that you like. 

17. Watch the Pilot of Parenthood. It's on Netflix and you will have no choice but to cry along to all six seasons.

18. Spend an entire afternoon reading.

19. Write something that scares you. And then post it. I've been doing a lot of this (here, here, here, and here). If one of your resolutions this year was to be brave, this is definitely a good first (and second and third and fourth) step.

20. Find a quote that inspires you and print it out. Put it near your bed so you see it every morning

21. Do one thing you've never done before. 

22. Use this website to find your next book. You type in books you like and it gives you a little map of your next reads..so cool.

23. Go for a walk by yourself.

24. Sneak your own snacks into the movie theater. You little rebel, you.

25. Buy yourself some discounted Valentine's Day candy.

26. Have an at home date just as good as the one on Valentine's Day. Because you don't need a holiday to have the best date night ever.

27. Find a healthy snack that you actually enjoy. Little changes, people. Little by little.

28. Make a list of your favorite things that happened this month. Or a list of things you were thankful for this month. Any sort of happy list from February.

Ps: don't forget to enter this giveaway!

How are you planning on spending February?