Things I Believe in This Week.

That willpower + stubbornness are a pretty powerful combo. || We're now TWO (and a half!) WEEKS into the whole no sugary creamer situation. This might seem like a small accomplishment to you, but I assure you, it is not. I also assure you it has been accomplished sheerly out of stubbornness to prove to myself that I could do it. Because it feels really good to put your mind to something and decide to stick to it, and then actually stick to it. 
Breaks. || Coffee breaks, book breaks, walk-around the block breaks, sit and stare at the ceiling breaks. When you're busy, taking a few minutes and some deep breaths can make all the difference. 
Supporting the heck out of the people in your life. || My dad called me last week to tell me that he liked a blog post of mine. One of my friends texted me this week saying she was proud of me. One of my best friends is sad about going back to work after her maternity leave, so I sent her flowers. All the simplest actions, all mean so much. Life is hard, but feeling supported by the people in your life makes it so much better. It doesn't have to be big gestures or take a lot of time. Just be supportive!
Summer. || No matter how old I get, summer always feels like a bit of a break from real life. Adventure and pool days and fresh watermelon, does it get any better? While Florida may be in the middle of a rainy week (OVER IT), I'm still feeling the excitement and overall happiness that summer brings every year. I love it so much. 
What do you believe in this week?

Things I Believe in This Week.

Live music. I saw Mumford & Sons in September, and I saw LANY last week. Both were magical nights. Live music wakes something up inside of you. I always leave concerts so happy and full of life and ready to chase dreams. Anyone else?
Pumpkin spiced everything. Pumpkin anything. Pumpkin everything. All day, every day, from my morning coffee to dessert, I'm eating all. things. pumpkin. 
Drinking coffee outside, by a fire. I'm all about the everyday magic, and this is it.
Road trips. They are good for your soul. Take the trip. Eat ramen and subway if can't afford going out. Just go. See new things and make new friends and visit old ones and just go. 
Candles. I love candles all the time, but especially in the fall. I've currently got pumpkin pecan pie and warm apple pie candles all throughout the house. There's something so cozy about a house with candles in every room.
T-25. Two of my closest friends started this workout this month, and since I know one of the best motivators is some good, old-fashioned peer pressure, I joined them. It is kicking my butt, but I haven't felt this good in a long time. 
Friendship. I've been thanking God daily for the friends I have in my life. Some near, some far, all so precious. I believe in friendship. I believe it's necessary. I believe it's one of the best gifts we get in this life. I'm so thankful for mine. 
What do you believe in this week?

Things I Believe in This Week.

Thrift store shopping. It has ruined me. I got this entire outfit for $10 last week, and the shorts still had the tags on. I can't pay full price for anything now without feeling like I'm getting majorly ripped off (because I probably am). If you're near Gainesville, you need to go to Sandy's. If not, you need to find your city's best consignment shop. I know that doesn't sound too fun, but if you like shopping and new clothes but also don't like spending money you don't have, it's a game-changer. 
Going for walks. Look, I'm trying to become a runner, but it's a big work in progress. In the meantime, Jack and I walk a few miles every morning. It's good for him to get fresh air, it's good for me to get exercise (because if you don't think that pushing a 25-pound kid in a stroller isn't exercise, think again, my friend), and it puts me in a really good mood. Endorphins for the win. 
Being a good friend. I've been in a season of life where friendships have been so essential to me, and even felt life-saving on some days. Little gestures of "hi, I'm here, I've got you, we're your people" go the longest way. The things that have meant the most to me haven't been big. It was my friends texting me the morning of a day they'd knew would be a hard one for me. Or getting a package in the mail that made my day. Or someone sending me a quote or a verse and saying "this reminded me of you!" Just little things that go a long way. It's really made me want to pay attention to how I can be the best friend. 
I say this all the time but I'm really learning it so much lately: Life is short, love your people fiercely 
Taylor Swift. Forever and ever, amen. 
What do you believe in this week?

Things I Believe in This Week.

Making your own happiness. There's a lot to be said about waking up and deciding to be happy. There's a lot to be said for being in the midst of a bad day or a bad month or a bad year and just saying, "screw it, I'm going to be happy anyway." Make your own happiness, friends. Buy that coffee you love, facetime the friends who make you happy, watch the movie that always makes you laugh. Get outside, take a deep breath, and be happy. 
Trips. All of the trips. Sometimes my view is, Life is short, I should skip being responsible and watch tv in my pjs (because, balance). But right now, it's more, Life is short, let's go all of the places. After seeing how much fun Jack had on vacation, I want to take him adventuring everywhere. I want to go on girl's trips. I want to visit family. Give me allllll the trips. (I blame summer for this one). 
Taking care of your body. I'm two weeks into the Love Sweat Fitness meal plan + exercise guide and am truly amazed at how much better I feel when I take care of myself. You would think I would just learn this lesson already, but nope, here we are, still amazed like I'm just learning this for the first time. 
Sure, I could really go for chips and queso and margaritas, and I've wanted to skip the workouts more than once. But physically, I feel so good. And that's one of the biggest gifts you can give yourself. 
Looking at the bright side. There's a time to wallow and a time to force yourself to look at all the good things. This week, I'm all about those good things. Almost everything in life has a bright side, and focusing on it makes every other not-so-bright-side seem less important. 
What do you believe in this week?

Things I Believe in This Week.

Spontaneity.  A few weeks ago, my best friend from growing up asked me if there was any way I would be able to meet her in Oklahoma to go on a wedding dress shopping road trip. The planner/mom/employee part of me was like, oh that would have been fun, but nope, not enough time to make it work. But the sentimental side of me was like, you CAN'T miss this, make it happen. And so I did! And it was the most fun. And nothing fell apart just because I did something spontaneously! More of that, please. 
Vacation. We are a week and a half out from vacation, so when I say I believe in vacation, you can trust that it is with a religious fervor. I am SO READY to just lay on a beach and do absolutely nothing. No emails or dishes or laundry. PRAISE HANDS. Checking in with people you love. Like, really checking in. Asking about specific things. Keeping up to date on their lives. Sure, life is busy, but a five-minute phone call can make a really big difference in being there for someone. I'm trying to get better at this. You know how amazing it feels for a friend to come through for you and just listen when you really need them? Let's be that for other people. What do you believe in this week? 

Things I Want to Believe in.

That people are good. Mostly, anyway. I think that the last few years (and maybe all of history) has proven that evil does exist, and sometimes it takes the form of people. But I want to believe that deep down, most people are good. Because as long as there are good people, things are hopeful. 
That there's room for everyone at the top. My friend Helene says this all the time. She's someone who has found major success in blogging, and every month or so she turns around and says, "hey, this is exactly how I did it!" Because she believes there's room for everyone at the top. If this is true, then there's no reason we shouldn't all be helping each other out along our way. There's no reason to feel sad when someone else reaches success, but instead, we should be reaching for the champagne to help them celebrate. That's a world I want to believe in.
That trying to raise good kids will somehow equal good kids. Being (mostly) solely responsible for what kind of human your baby grows up to be is terrifying. I want to believe that trying my best will mean that Jack grows up to be a decent human being, despite the fact that it feels like I have no idea what I'm doing 84% of the time.
That putting in the work is worth it. Most of the time, when Chris' residency comes up, people end the conversation with, "Don't worry, it will all be worth it one day." Usually, this is meant as encouragement, but sometimes, it is a (very thinly) veiled way of saying, "Hey, you'll have lots of money one day!" To me, there is no amount of money that makes up for what residency takes from you. Money will never make it worth it to me. What will, however, is that this is what Chris loves to do, and one day he will be done with training and it will just be his career, and he'll get to spend every day doing what he loves. 
I want to believe that about everything. That putting the work in to raise Jack will be worth it. That putting the time and effort into blogging and writing is worth it. That putting in the work to love and be kind and generous towards other people is worth it.

That love wins. My best friend sent me this song and the timeliness of it gave me goosebumps. It can be so hard to truly believe that love wins when hate seems so prevalent and, at times, so much stronger. I desperately want to believe that love conquers all and that it's what will win out in the end.
That chasing after your dreams is a worthy way to spend your time. I want to believe that every hour of sleep missed and every obnoxiously early alarm clock and every minute poured into getting you closer to your dreams is beyond worth it.

That life will still work out even if you make one (or seven or thirty-two) wrong decisions. My first week of college, I went to a chapel service for college students. The speaker was talking about how those years are so full of giant decisions and bring so much pressure. He said something I'll never forget: Do you honestly think God is so small, He will allow the course of your life to be derailed by you making one wrong decision? That if you pick the wrong major, that's it-no good future for you? Do you think that life really revolves around you that much? 
That will stay with me forever. I want to believe that the wrong choices I make (which I do, no matter how badly I wish I always chose the right thing) are not enough to derail any future success or happiness. 
What do you want to believe in?

Things I Believe in This Week: Coffee, Lipstick, & Not Pretending.

This week, I believe. . .

. . .In coffee. To be fair, I always believe in coffee. I am coffee's biggest cheerleader, always. But this week, I have extra, extra belief in coffee. When I think back to seven months ago, when Jack was still waking up every hour and a half, I know that I have no reason to be this tired now that he's pretty much sleeping through the night. But I am. I so am. So to that glorious, steaming cup of coffee: Thanks for making me a better person.

. . .That wearing lipstick instantly makes you feel better. As of four years ago, I never, ever wore lipstick. Or lip color of any kind, really. And then one day, I was in Target, and I was having one of those days where I was reallllly feeling my outfit. You know the kind of day I'm talking about...the ones that make you think, hey, maybe I'm way cooler than I thought I was. I saw some bright pink lipstick, decided I was most definitely cool enough to pull it off with my awesome outfit, and have been a believer ever since. 

. . .In being honest about how you're really doing. No one is happy all of the time. No one has a good day every single day. But when someone asks how you're doing, what do you say almost every time? I'm good! How are you? 

I wrote about the unexpected death of someone who was very important to my family two weeks ago. And then, my grandma's death last week. Some other not-so-fun stuff has happened in between that, and with it all added together, you know, I'm just not having the best week.

So when a friend of mine asked how I was, I answered honestly. I'm having kind of a crappy week, but it's all good. Do you know what she said? She said, No, it's not all good. It's part of life, but it doesn't mean it's all good. And then we moved on with our day. The world didn't crumble because I said I was something other than great. It just made me realize that when it comes to those who are close to us, there's no reason to pretend we're doing wonderfully if we're not. That's what friends are for, right? So let's all agree to stop pretending. The world won't fall apart, I promise. 

What do you believe in this week?

Things I Believe in This Week.

Anyone else have to pause the debate and leave the room several times last night to avoid an anxiety attack? No? Just me? Cool cool. 
Happy Monday! Let's let go of that debate hangover and talk about better things. 
This week, I believe in...
...Taking advantage of time off. I'm still feeling refreshed from our little beach day. It cost money and effort and time and it was worth every single one of those things. Don't spend every day off you get in front of the TV. Don't spend every one catching up on your to-do list. Every now and then, take advantage of your time off and go.
...Celebrating cooler weather. And by celebrate, I mean go for a walk. It is currently 58 degrees here (UNHEARD OF FOR FL OCTOBER) and I am about to take Jack out and soak it all up, because it'll be back to 80 tomorrow.
...Speaking of celebrations, I believe every occasion should be documented with a jib-jab card. Today is my mom's birthday, and you best believe MC Hammer Jack send her a dancing birthday card. 

...So much of life should be about living in the moment. I was having dinner with a friend last night and she said her and her husband had enjoyed a fancy bottle of champagne they were given as a graduation gift. Chris asked her if it was a special occasion, and she said, "yeah, my husband was home from work and we had a night off together." Freaking YES. 
Way too much of life is spent being responsible and planning and waiting. And yes, that's necessary and often good. But if you don't balance that with living in the moment when you can, where's the fun? 
Live in the moment. Make the most of your days off. Go to the beach. Buy the new dress. Drink the expensive champagne. Go for a walk instead of doing the dishes. Follow up your workout with some ice cream. 
Life is short, live it well. That's what I believe in this week. 
What do you believe in this week?

Things I Believe in This Week.

Enjoying what you like to the fullest, no matter what anyone else says. Something that has confused me lately is people saying things like, "Oh my gosh, can you stop with the pumpkin spice latte?! It's overrated and I hate pumpkin." Why is this a thing?! I love pumpkin. PSL's are one of my favorite things about fall. Sure, they're way popular...for a reason. Let's let everyone just enjoy what they like. 

Waking up a little bit earlier to have a little bit extra time is always worth it. Those few quiet moments in the morning are GOLD. 

Also worth it: Pushing yourself just a little bit outside of your comfort zone. I am incredibly introverted when it comes to new things and new people (something I'm trying to change!) and because of this, I've always kind of avoided having people over. What if it's awkward? What if I burn dinner? What if my house isn't clean enough, or my baby cries the whole time? What if I'm awkward and we can't find anything to talk about? 

Having the new house and being in a new town has pushed me to want to get over this, and we've been inviting some new friends to dinner, and not only has it not been terrible, but it's actually been really fun. 

Realizing that you're not a failure just because you didn't mark everything off of your to-do list. Or even half of everything. Life happens, and it rarely happens according to a to-do list. 

Yoga. I am laughing at myself even just typing this, but I have fallen crazy in love with yoga. I had a very terrible, rotten, no good day yesterday, and I had all but decided to skip all workout-related things. But I decided to go ahead and do the day of yoga (I'm doing 30 Days of Yoga with Adriene) and it ended up being exactly what I needed. Deep breaths, deep stretches, deep focusing. Seriously, I love it. 

What do you believe in this week?

Things I Believe in This Week: Books & Floats.

Pool days and hot pink floats. I firmly believe that weekends are for fun, not for boring adult responsibilities. Most recently, I believe that weekends should be spent in the pool, on a hot pink float if at all possible. I'm currently working on growing a money tree so that my weekdays can also look like this. Stay tuned. 
Getting a library card. I got a library card last week and it has already brought me so much happiness. Getting a library card is one of the best improvements you can make to your life, and it's free. Free books, something to do when you need to get out of the house but don't want to spend any money, a free place to go when you need to feel creative, the ability to read things you wouldn't normally read without the risk of spending your money on something you might not love. Again, why doesn't everyone have a library card?! I don't understand. 
Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone every now and then. This might sound a little prideful, but I am SO proud of how much I've pushed myself since moving to Gainesville. When it comes to new people, I am extremely introverted, and when it comes to new places, I am extremely anxious. But I've tried my best to forget that and just throw myself into life lately, and I have to say, I feel much happier for doing so.
Making your life a place that you love. I've been thinking about this so much lately! This keeps rolling around in my head: It's my life, I'm the one who has to live here. It's challenging me to make my whole life a place that I love, no matter what anyone else may think of it. I'm the one who has to live here, I might as well enjoy it!
What do you believe in this week? 

Things I Believe in This Week: Vacation Edition.

Coming at you today from a tropical little slice of paradise. Currently trying to find an excuse to never ever come home. In the meantime, here are a few things I believe in this week:

• Taking vacations. Whenever and wherever. 

• Buying giant pink flamingo floats, even if it doesn't seem like the most reasonable purchase.

• That everyone should have a hammock.

• That food tastes better when you're on vacation. Also: Calories do not exist on vacation. 

• Sunshine is good for your soul. So are bright colors. 

• That life is meant to be enjoyed. You should take every chance you get to enjoy life to the fullest.

What do you believe in this week?

Things I Believe in This Week.

Making a second pot of coffee. Some days it's a second cup, and some days it's a second pot. Gotta do what you gotta do.

Pairing busywork with an audiobook. You may not be able to read while you get work done, but you can listen to someone else read to you while you work. 

Shopping in the men's section for t-shirts. Take Forever 21 and their graphic tees for example. I can buy one from the men's section for $12. Or I can go over to the women's section and buy half of the same shirt (literally half...like, cut off before your belly button, half) for twice the money, because it was made for girls. No thank you! Bonus: The guys t-shirts are often pretty hilarious.

Sometimes you it's worth it to give up sleep to get stuff on your to-do list done. And sometimes it's worth giving up getting stuff done to get some sleep. Give and take, people, give and take.

There's not always going to be a clear right decision and a clear wrong decision. When this happens, you just have to trust your gut, even if it's terrifying to do so.

Being happy is worth it. It's worth the hard work it may take to get there, and it's worth the things you may have to kick out of your life to make it happen. Life is short; be happy.

What do you believe in this week?

Things I Believe in This Week.

Coffee. Extra, extra coffee. Sometimes, curling up and holding a warm cup that smells delicious (and tastes even better) is all you need to bring you back to life.

Saying no and staying home. Sometimes it's the best thing you can do to take care of yourself. Sometimes it's saying yes and going out, and but don't forget the times it's important to say no and stay home. 

Soaking up every bit of the day. No matter what it looks like, every day deserves a chance to be savored. No matter how early it starts or what time it ends, there's plenty of magic in-between that should be soaked up.

Not apologizing for who you are. Or what you want, or what you like, or what you believe in. Those things make you who you are, and you should never be sorry for or feel like you have to explain away who you are.

Continuing to go after what you want, no matter what that looks like. Sometimes, following your dreams looks like having an office all to yourself and having days and days and days to just lock yourself away and chase ofter what you want. Other times, it looks like hustling on your lunch break, or while the baby takes a nap. Either way-it's still so important to go after your dreams.

What do you believe in this week?