This month marks two years of blogging. In hindsight, it’s astonishing how much my life has changed since I launched this blog in February 2019. I’ve graduated college, moved to a new city, cut my teeth in the public relations industry, made new friends, lost touch with other friends, and learned some hard lessons along the way. Not to mention living through a global pandemic. Through it all, this blog has been a little oasis for me, a space to document, celebrate, and reflect on life.
My one resolution for 2021 is to keep a daily gratitude journal. Now that I’m over a month into the practice, I want to share my experience thus far with you and challenge you to keep a gratitude log of your own.
There’s a lot of fascinating research on the effects of practicing gratitude, but simply put, a conscious focus on the positives in our lives boosts our overall happiness. I’ve found this to be true in the first month of my gratitude practice, and it amazes me how many things I have to be thankful for on even the seemingly worst of days.
If February snuck up on you, this is a friendly reminder that Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching. Historically, I’m not a huge Valentine’s Day person, but these days, I’ll take any excuse to celebrate and make an ordinary day feel special.
Regardless of your relationship status, I think the holiday can be fun! A couple of years ago, I mailed all of my gal pals Leslie Knope “uteruses before duderuses” Galentine’s cards. It was a simple way to spread the love on February 14. In that spirit, today’s Valentine’s Day gift guide includes cards for valentines and galentines, as well as present ideas for both guys and girls.
Sweatshirt | Similar leggings (on sale) | Booties (on sale)
Can you believe it’s almost February? To me, January always feels like it flies by. Since we’re embarking on a new month, that means it’s time for an On My Radar post! I didn’t get around to publishing one in December, so today’s roundup covers two month’s worth of everything I read, watched, bought, and loved. Plus, of course, the best of the internet!
It’s taken me longer than normal to mentally shift to the new year. Maybe because 2020 was a lot. Or maybe the inauguration was just my New Year’s Day. 😂 Either way, I’m finally ready to reflect on the goals I set for 2020 and share how I stacked up.
Hi, everyone! I hope you had a nice MLK Day weekend. As I type this, it feels good to be back blogging after an impromptu hiatus over the past month.
To get you up to speed on what’s been going on with me, I went into the holidays feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally burned-out. It didn’t help matters that I then pushed myself too far on the amount of travel (read: driving) I did during the holidays. Then, just as I started to settle back into my routine in my DC apartment and feel more like myself again at the beginning of January, the insurrection at the Capitol happened. It’s difficult to describe the fear I felt that day and in the following days, both as a Washingtonian and an American.
It’s been a while since I’ve shared travel content on the blog! Like many of you, I’ve stayed put inside for most of the year. However, last month while I was visiting Max in Miami, I had the opportunity to explore Vizcaya Museum & Gardens.
The Vizcaya mansion, which sits juxtaposed between the sea and tropical mangrove forest, was breathtaking. Estimated to have cost $26 million to build between 1914 and 1922, Vizcaya is worth $388 million-$8.7 billion today.
If you’re a longtime reader, you know that in my mind, December marks the beginning of the Christmas season and therefore the beginning of winter, too. No matter that fall doesn’t officially end until December 21. Since it’s the beginning of a new season (to me, at least), that means it’s time for a quarterly photo diary!
Quick disclaimer: These photos capture the highs of autumn 2020, but please know that there were lows, too. Not pictured are the long hours I spent inside, working on my computer, or the difficult moments that came with losing a family member and feeling isolated from the rest of the world. Social media (and often blogs) are highlight reels. They display the good and gloss over or omit the bad. I think that’s an important thing to remember, particularly now, as our Instagram feeds are filled with shiny images of people out and about. It’s easy to wonder if you’re the only one still social distancing, the only one not spending holidays with your family, the only one struggling, etc. I know I have. I say all this because I always want this blog to be a platform for not only celebrating the things that bring joy— travel, decor, and fashion, among others— but also for reflection on the more difficult, human moments that we all experience.
Can you believe it’s December? This year has felt like 5 years wrapped into one, yet December still caught me by surprise somehow. Today, I’m sharing my third and final gift guide, which was curated for all the guys in your life. Whether you’re shopping for your dad, brother, boyfriend, husband, or friend, there’s something for everyone in this Christmas Gifts for Him roundup.
November was tough. In short: My grandfather passed away on my 24th birthday at the beginning of the month. Then, there was the five-day stretch of constantly refreshing the news waiting for election results. Add in anxiety about the number of COVID cases spiking everywhere, sadness that I couldn’t safely attend my grandfather’s funeral, and stress related to completely changing my Thanksgiving plans at the last minute and you get the full picture of the month-long emotional rollercoaster.
Although there were many lows in November, I am thankful for the bright spots of the month (it is Thanksgiving, after all!). I was fortunate to be promoted at my job during a time when so many people are out of work. Also, I have a newfound sense of hope for our country knowing that there will be a new administration—one with a female Vice President, finally!—come January.
Now that I have all that off my chest, let’s dive into everything on my radar in November. This post has the usual content (what I read, watched, bought, and loved this month + the best of the internet), as well as a roundup of Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales to shop.
