LYB(Holiday)L Week 5 (December Prompts) + Linkup Announcement // Seeking Holiday Calm

This was supposed to post yesterday guys... whoops. 24 hour vets, no sleep, etc. does not lead to great blogging. #keepinitreal

It is almost December! :) I'm so excited to get into the Christmas holidays, but definitely feeling a bit of stress! Am I alone? Excited to be kicking off month two of LYBHolidayL! :)  

On to week 5's December prompts for LYBHolidayL! :) 

New here? The What & Why

Shea from Shea Lennon and I are super psyched to be continuing LYB(Holiday)L this month! Starting December 1st we have one prompt per day to help us live a calmer, more organized, and peaceful holiday season! Each week we'll share the week's prompts, and our own ideas for how we'll do them. We'll give brief re-caps on the previous week as we go. The full list of daily prompts is on IG, and will be linked at the bottom of each of my posts. If you're a plan ahead type person, tape it into your planner or write it out to start thinking ahead. We hope that you'll join us! Use #LYBHolidayL to let us know when you tag along on social media! :) (see the full intro post and details, here).

November Recap:

This challenged helped me to get through a majorly stressful month mostly unscathed. ;) Following the challenge helped me to keep calm, take time for myself, and get organized here and there. It also gave me permission to spend time on myself and to get rid of things on my to-do list. :) 

A few highlights:

• THIS AMAZING COMMUNITY OF LADIES WORKING ON THIS CHALLENGE TOGETHER! :)  I loved connecting with you all and seeing how you made the challenge your own! I'm so excited to start December with you! :) 
• getting a jump on some holiday prep work. I felt much more organized and even a bit ahead of the game from time to time!
• having a full gratitude log. Even on the worst of days, I was able to put something down. :) 
• gratitude quote searching left me with so many quotes that are really inspiring. I even put some of them in my November Daily album! :)

If you joined in in any way during November, thank you so much!! It means a lot to us, and it is nice to feel like there is a community of people trying to focus on the season, and who are rooting for you to succeed as you do the same! :) :) I am so excited to start on December! Here we go! :) 

Week 5 (December Prompts):

December 1 - Make hot chocolate. Here's our favorite "grown up" version.

We love this spiked peppermint hot chocolate. It's our tradition to drink it while we watch Love Actually each year. :)

December 2 - Shop your closet for possible holiday outfits: what can you mix and match from years past? It’s likely you won’t need to do a lot of shopping. And if you do, you’ll know exactly what holes you need to fill!

I'm so excited about this one. We are going to a handful of holiday things (concerts, parties, etc.) where we'll want to look nice. I need to go through my closet and pick out some outfit ideas in advance. 1) This will keep me from spending and spending, and 2) it will have me ready faster on those nights, less fighting with hangers and running around looking for a certain sweater! :)

December 3 - Start a new holiday tradition! This is the year. Keep it simple, make your list, get your supplies, YOU CAN DO IT! (If you brainstormed in November, now is the time to put it into action!)

We are going to be doing an Advent calendar for the first time, and also trying to go to a few local events that we never make time for! We'll see how it goes! :) Which leads me to....

Linkup Announcement!

Shea and I both had the idea to FINALLY do Advent calendars in our homes this year, and we thought it would be fun to do a linkup where you all can share your calendars if you made them, but also any of your fun holiday traditions in your home! :) No matter what you celebrate this month, we'd love for you to share it with us! The linkup will be on December 13th! We hope that you will join us in sharing your family's winter holiday traditions!

What is your go-to holiday event outfit?! (help a girl out!)

Are you planning to start a new tradition this year?!

I'll be posting about the prompts using #LYBHolidayL on Instagram! Make sure to check in with Shea on her IG too! :) @simplyalexandra12 & @shealennon

XO,

Alexandra

LYB(Holiday)L Week 5 (November Prompts) // Seeking Holiday Calm

Update: Squee! Prince Harry is marrying Meghan Markle! x_x

It's another Monday! I hope that you had a great weekend and Thanksgiving holiday! Ours was a bit busy off and on, but overall productive. I'm definitely feeling the strain of the end of the year, and keeping up with my many projects. LYBHolidayL is still helping though, and I'm very grateful for that!

On to week 5 of LYBHolidayL! :)

New here? The What & Why

Shea from Shea Lennon and I are super psyched to be kicking off LYB(Holiday)L this month! Starting November 1st we have one prompt per day to help us live a calmer, more organized, and peaceful holiday season! Each week we'll share the week's prompts, and our own ideas for how we'll do them. We'll give brief re-caps on the previous week as we go. The full list of daily prompts is on IG, and will be linked at the bottom of each of my posts. If you're a plan ahead type person, tape it into your planner or write it out to start thinking ahead. We hope that you'll join us! Use #LYBHolidayL to let us know when you tag along on social media! :) (see the full intro post and details, here).

Week 4 Recap:

All things considered, last week's lybholidayl went well! Despite some logistical issues, and lots of social plans, I managed to mostly keep up with the challenge, and again, I think it helped me keep it together, and be present. I'm taking it slower, which is really needed. 
Here are some things we did:

• on Monday we spent a very long time driving to and from an airport in my state. There were some flight snafus... so this wasn't a good day for a treat. However, online shopping and Thanksgiving desserts more than made up for it as the week went on.
• I gave myself a quick mani. It was nice to feel like I took some time for myself.
• I was home this day, and I didn't do any makeup or hair or anything... but I did manage to wear pumpkin and blush around the house. :) 
• I put my phone away repeatedly on Thanksgiving. It was tough though because there's not a lot to do while everyone else is watching football...
• we didn't look at old photos on this specific day, but we did do it over the weekend. It was fun to look back on our relationship. :) 
• a hot cocoa break (which we swapped for leftover pie) was much needed...!
• we took some time to call my dad and my grandma in Arizona.

My gratitude log is full! & it makes me happy! It is also making it easy to catch up with things with my November Daily.

If you joined in in any way during week 1, 2, 3, or 4 thank you so much!! It means a lot to us, and it is nice to feel like there is a community of people trying to focus on the season, and who are rooting for you to succeed as you do the same! :) :) I know I shared these last week, but I loved Audrey and Kelly's updates, thank you so much for sharing ladies!

Week 5 (November Prompts): 

November 27 - Hand write a letter or note telling someone how grateful you are for them, and why.

This is such a tough one! I have a few ideas.. we'll see what I am able to pull off! :)

November 28 - Discuss with family existing ideas for new holiday traditions, planning ahead will make pulling it off next month easier!

KC and I spent a lot of time working on this in November. We'll be doing an Advent calendar, which will be new to us, and hope to watch a few new Christmas movies too.

November 29 - Schedule 15 minutes to destress, break out that grown up coloring book (or just doodle)

This will be much needed. I feel like I have an awful lot of things on my plate right now! I'm going to use my paper coloring book, but Disney has a coloring app with a few free pages too! Check it out. :) 

November 30 - Try a new coffee, tea, or coffee creamer

I am a caffeine creature of habit. I rarely like new things that I try.. :P So we'll see how it goes! :)

Come back on Wednesday 11/29 for December's prompts! :) 

What about you guys?! Are you planning to tag along this week? Or in December?!

How do you show people that you are grateful for them?!

Are you adventurous with your coffee and tea?

I'll be posting about the prompts using #LYBHolidayL on Instagram! Make sure to check in with Shea on her IG too! :) @simplyalexandra12 & @shealennon

XO,

Alexandra

LYB(Holiday)L Week 4 + ANNOUNCEMENT! // Seeking Holiday Calm

It's another Monday! I hope that you had a great weekend! Ours was a little bit busy, but productive. I did a few things I'd been putting off, and we got more gifts purchased and wrapped! :) 

On to week 4 of LYBHolidayL! :) & an ANNOUNCEMENT at the bottom of the post! :) 

New here? The What & Why

Shea from Shea Lennon and I are super psyched to be kicking off LYB(Holiday)L this month! Starting November 1st we have one prompt per day to help us live a calmer, more organized, and peaceful holiday season! Each week we'll share the week's prompts, and our own ideas for how we'll do them. We'll give brief re-caps on the previous week as we go. The full list of daily prompts is on IG, and will be linked at the bottom of each of my posts. If you're a plan ahead type person, tape it into your planner or write it out to start thinking ahead. We hope that you'll join us! Use #LYBHolidayL to let us know when you tag along on social media! :) (see the full intro post and details, here).

Week 3 Recap:

All things considered, last week's lybholidayl went well! Despite lingering stress, and lots of social plans, I managed to keep up with the challenge, and again, I think it helped me keep it together, and be present. I'm taking it slower, which is really needed. And it's very hard for me to do... so this challenge has been so great in that way! :) 

Here are some things we did:

• on Monday I wasn't up for much of anything to be honest, but I definitely felt better knowing that I needed to "clear the un-fun" from my schedule!
• we are ahead (for us!) on gift-list and buying. We're not done. But we took some time to start wrapping instead of adding to our list. We made more purchases and decisions throughout the week though! Feeling really good about it!
• I did not want to work on Advent things, but I did, and it was ok. We'll see how it goes moving forward! :P I think I will like the end result.
• I set a bedtime alarm and was grumpy about it! BUT it was very needed, so I'm ultimately grateful! 
• I shared THIS gratitude quote, it really spoke to me and helped me to feel calmer about all that's going on right now!
• WE FINALLY DONATED OUR THINGS! 8 months later... but hey!
• we went on a fall walk around our neighborhood. :) :) 

We also managed to get our fridge cleaned out, because it was forgotten last week!

Still loving the gratitude log, and that it is making it easier for me to catch up in my November Daily/Gratitude album. :) 

If you joined in in any way during week 1, 2, or 3 thank you so much!! It means a lot to us, and it is nice to feel like there is a community of people trying to focus on the season, and who are rooting for you to succeed as you do the same! :) :) My heart broke open from happiness when I saw Audrey and Kelly's updates, thank you so much for sharing ladies, and I'm glad that you are enjoying the challenge! 

Week 4:

November 20 - Allow yourself a small indulgence this week (a sweet treat, a long bath, an item from your wish list).

I don't know what this will end up being.. but I am excited to find out! Kelly Purkey is having a Black Friday sale... :)

November 21 - Give yourself a manicure or pedicure

This is so needed, and great timing pre-Thanksgiving! :)

November 22 - Unexpected color-combo: pumpkin & blush

I stumbled upon this one, and I love it! How odd, right? If you don't have these in your closet, or don't want to pair them, try anything new within your own wardrobe today! :) 

November 23 - Put your phone away and just be present today. Facebook and Instagram can wait.

I love that this falls on Thanksgiving! :) I plan to keep my phone put away unless I'm using it for photos! My iphone is my camera, and I love capturing holiday moments! :)

November 24 - Take a few minutes to look at old photos and reminisce.

I used to make photo books for KC, and then stopped at some point. It would be fun to find them and flip through them together! :) Now just to find them... :)

November 25 - Have a hot cocoa date with your significant other, best friend, or other loved one.

This sounds like a great way to unwind after a busy holiday week. We have some super cute new mugs too, excited for this one! :)

November 26 - Call, text, FaceTime, etc. a friend or family member that you are not able to see this holiday. They'll be glad to know that you are thinking of them!

I will plan to call my dad and grandma in Arizona to catch up with them. :)

Announcement Time!

We are having so much fun with #lybholidayl! Between the community encouragement, the "justification" for self-care, and the peace it's given us (and you!) ... we have decided to continue in December! Stay tuned for the December prompts, we'll be sharing them on November 29th! We hope you'll join us, or join us again! :) 

What about you guys?! Are you planning to tag along this week? Or in December?!

Do you have loved ones who live far away? How do you keep in touch?

What is your favorite small indulgence?!

I'll be posting about the prompts using #LYBHolidayL on Instagram! Make sure to check in with Shea on her IG too! :) @simplyalexandra12 & @shealennon

XO,

Alexandra

Have You Heard? // Postmodern Jukebox - "Seven Nation Army"

Happy Friday, Friends! Whew, what a week. What a roller coaster life is in general. Thank you for all of the love via blog and social media lately! It is so appreciated, and I'm very glad to have this community of awesome ladies!! :)

Moving along. This week I stumbled back upon Postmodern Jukebox. Have you heard their music? They basically do covers of popular (current, usually) songs in vintage styles. They do everything from 1910's - 1970's styles.

I have a lot of favorites, and they aren't all the same styles, or even all songs that I liked the original version. hehe This is one of my favorites though, and I do love the original version (The White Stripes) ... as well as 1920's style music. If you're not sure if you know the song, just listen... you probably do. It was really popular in the 00's.



What do you guys think?! Do you enjoy covers? I love them, even ones that aren't changed quite so much. I know I have mentioned before that Ed Sheeran is an amazing cover artist! :)

What are you guys up to this weekend?

Yesterday was my MIL's birthday, so we celebrated a bit then, but we do have dinner tonight with KC's sister and her husband as well. It will be nice to have dinner in our bigger group. :) On Saturday it is my 10,000 day birthday! Woohoo. We decided to do 10 things... I am not sure what they all are, some will likely be small, but we do have tickets to see Waitress the musical. I love the movie, so I am excited to see it live! :) (Thank you Audrey for letting me know it was good! :) ) Otherwise I hope that we have time for reading, my November Daily album, general festiveness, and of course the #lybholidayl prompts! :) 

Other Posts This Week: #lybholidayl Week 2, and October Reads.

On YouTube This Week: 6 Ways To Make Your Own Project Life Cards Vol. II and November Daily/Gratitude Scrapbook Supplies & Organization.

Have a great weekend! 

XO,

Alexandra

October Reads // In a Non-Reading Kind of Month!

October was not a reading month for me. I barely felt the desire to pick up a book at all. However, I did finish my goodreads annual challenge in October, so that's good. :) Let's get on to the reviews, friends! :) 

Merry & Bright by Debbie Macomber*

4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy Christmas rom-coms. :) (I know this is not everyone's genre!)

Merry Knight is working a temp job, (for an awful boss), and taking care of her family (her mother has MS and her younger brother is Autistic) all while saving for her final year in college. Her family has had a hard time making ends meet, and getting daily chores done. Because Merry is so selfless, her mother and brother sign her up for an online Matchmaking site called Mix & Mingle. They don't use her real name, and use a picture of their dog, just in case she's mad. Soon after Merry gets a "wink" from a match who also has a dog as a profile picture. When she finds out that her match is actually her boss, a total jerk, she doesn't know how to proceed. Holiday hi-jinx and shenanigans ensue.

I am a sucker for Christmas rom coms. I can't help it. I'm trash for Hallmark channel in the winter, and I love reading these books. I've been disappointed by the last few that I had read by this author... but finally I felt like this one was back to what I expected. I thought that this was cute, predictable, romantic, and heartwarming. Just the type of book I need when the world is hurting so much. I loved the family aspect of this one. I loved that Merry was so close with her parents and brother. I love that those relationships were featured heavily in the book as well. If you're looking for a happy Holiday read, I definitely recommend this one. :) 

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

4 Stars - I recommend if you are looking for a contemporary read with diverse voices and endearing characters. I particularly loved the commentary on the "American Dream" and how the characters found their places within that.

This novel follows Dimple, a Indian girl who has just graduated from high school. She's been accepted to Stanford and cannot wait to start her life in web design. She's shocked that her parents are letting her go to Stanford, and even more so when they agree to let her go to a summer coding camp at SFSU. Rishi is the oldest son in his family, he's traditional, a romantic, a pragmatist, and so ready to meet his "future wife", Dimple. When he shows up at coding camp and tells her as much, she throws iced coffee in his face. When they're paired together for the coding project they'll challenge each other's ideas of tradition and bravery.

I just loved this book! I loved that this book had main characters from a culture different than my own and gave more representation to POC in the YA genre. I loved the balance between Indian family tradition and the American dream. It was so fun to read these characters and watch them learn from one another. I also loved that Dimple was into tech, and Rishi was into art. I feel like this book does a really nice job of challenging traditional cultural, societal, religious, gender, etc. etc. roles in a very thoughtful way. I loved reading Rishi's commentary on beliefs and religion, when asked why he says, "Oh my gods" instead of "Oh my god". (long quote, but I loved it):

"This is how it works in the US: In the spring we are constantly subjected to bunnies and eggs wherever we go, signifying Christ's resurrection. Then right around October we begin to see pine trees and nativity scenes and laughing fat white men everywhere. Christian iconography is all over the place, constantly in our faces, even in casual conversation. This is the bible of comic book artists...He had a come to Jesus moment, all of that stuff. So this is my way of saying, Hey, maybe I believe something a little different. And every time someone asks me why 'gods,' I get to explain Hinduism."

This is the one that really got me though:

"I feel like I need to speak out, because if no one speaks out, if no one says, This is me, this is what I believe in, and this is why I'm different, and this is why that's okay, then what's the point? What's the point of living in this beautiful, great melting pot where everyone can dare to be anything they want to be?"

Wow, right?! What a statement, what a truth. I've felt that way so much (in the past year especially), when did America stop being proud that we are a "great melting pot, where everyone can dare to be anything they want to be"? I'm still proud. That's the America I believe in, so to read it put into words so well had my heart beaming. Thank you, Sandhya Menon.

My only complaint was that I wish there was a bit more explanation on the phrases and words that were in Hindi. Sometimes they were translated, sometimes I could get the gist, but I wanted to know what they meant all the way through the book. I'm just like that. I'm the one who always wants to translate everything, and use all the footnotes, etc. I did however, appreciate that she used Hindi. It really made it feel authentic to hear these families and characters speaking in a Hindi-English hybrid. I also appreciated the author's colorful phrasing, "Aberzombie" and "Douche Nozzle" were particularly delightful. LOL

Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la Cruz*

2.5 - 3 Stars - I might recommend if you enjoy fluffy Christmas reads, and plots related to high society living.

Darcy Fitzwilliam is going home for the first time in 8 years. Her mother has had a heart attack, and she wants to be there for her even if it means confronting her past. She's not on good terms with her dad or brothers, and she doesn't like going back to her hometown. While at her parents' Christmas party she runs into Luke Bennett. One of the most annoying guys from high school, however she notices that she's no longer so annoyed by him. As things progress between her and Luke, her and her Ex, and her relationships with her family, Darcy finds herself questioning what she wants in life.

I really wanted to love this, but I was pretty disappointed by it. It was a fairly cute idea, but I didn't feel like I really understood the characters very well. Most of what I disliked was related to very surface level emotions, interests, and conversations. I did like it when Darcy had a more fleshed out personality, I felt like I started to understand her more, but I think that mostly happened toward the end of the book. Otherwise I was confused by her motivations. I did enjoy her relationship with her mom and her friend Bingley. The character growth was ok, and I liked the ending. There wasn't much of P&P in this. The characters had similar names and social status, but otherwise it was mostly just a present-day rom com. Overall it was just ok for me though. I've read plenty of De La Cruz's books, and this one was just not as enthralling as any of the others. And I love Christmas rom-coms you guys! Between the two, I much preferred Merry & Bright by Debbie Macomber (above).

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson - read in November...

3.5 - 4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy YA fantasy with a bit of romance.

This story follows Isobel, a prodigy painter who is commissioned by The Fair Ones to paint their portraits. Human Craft is valued above all else to The Fair Ones. They pay her in enchantments, and she knows how to avoid their cruel tricks. When the Autumn Prince commissions her to paint his portrait, she is irked by her unusual inability to capture his likeness. She finds that his eyes carry human sorrow, an impossibility for a Fair One. She paints him as such, and in the process may cost him his life. She must rectify the wrong she has done, or face certain death herself.

First of all, can we take a second to bask in the beautiful glory that is this cover? My goodness. Just perfection. It's shimmery too you guys. Alright then, moving along. Overall I think I read this one too fast. A lot of things happened, and it felt jumbled to me. I liked the world that Rogerson built, I loved the bits about human Craft, and the enchantments, I liked the different lands that she travels through, etc. It did remind me a bit of ACoTaR: season courts (spring court, autumn court, etc.), and a human girl taken prisoner by a fae lord. However, I also liked the differences. There was some interesting elemental sorts of magic in this story, the enchantments were also very neat, I liked that humans had the magic of their Craft as well. I would have enjoyed a bit more world building upon those things. I had trouble understanding some of the characters. I felt that Isobel was sometimes very type A, and other times oddly laid back (in the face of danger). Sometimes I felt that she wasn't taking things seriously. The romance felt insta-love-y sometimes, and other times not at all. It shifted from 0 to 100 throughout the book without a lot of internal struggle... to the point where I didn't feel on pins and needles waiting for them to get together. I felt that some of it was predictable, but other parts surprised me, and were left a bit unexplained. Again, these things could have been as a result of reading this all in one day... I've got to stop doing that. I really enjoyed some of the characters that she created though. For example, Isobel's sisters were very cute and mischievous. I also appreciated that Isobel was very adamant about consent. Very adamant. Which I feel was really good... and doesn't come up very often, especially in YA fiction. Overall I enjoyed this story, and would be interested to read more of Rogerson's books in the future. Preferably with equally gorgeous covers. :) 

Currently Reading:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

I haven't been great at predicting my reading mood.. .so I'm not going to list any "on deck" books this month... lol. Who could say!
Linking up with Jana and Steph for Show Us Your Books tomorrow. :) 

What have you been reading? What do you hope to read this month?! 

Let's be friends on Goodreads!

XO,

Alexandra

* Asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley!

LYB(Holiday)L Week 3 // Seeking Holiday Calm

Happy Monday, guys! I hope that you had a great weekend! Ours was really stressful, unfortunately. I've been feeling a lot of weight to fix things related to the divorce, or that if I don't do a thing.. no one else will/can. And that really sucks, and it is hard to shake. Making headway on the Christmas gift game though.. I do feel like being more intentional with the weeks ahead of the stress helped me to cope with it better though, so thank you all for participating, and cheering each other and me on!

On to week 3 of LYBHolidayL! :) 

New here? The What & Why

Shea from Shea Lennon and I are super psyched to be kicking off LYB(Holiday)L this month! Starting November 1st we have one prompt per day to help us live a calmer, more organized, and peaceful holiday season! Each week we'll share the week's prompts, and our own ideas for how we'll do them. We'll give brief re-caps on the previous week as we go. The full list of daily prompts is on IG, and will be linked at the bottom of each of my posts. If you're a plan ahead type person, tape it into your planner or write it out to start thinking ahead. We hope that you'll join us! Use #LYBHolidayL to let us know when you tag along on social media! :) (see the full intro post and details, here).

Week 2 Recap:

My first full week of #LYBHolidayL week went really well! I haven't had a week this nice in quite a while! In addition to the things below, I felt super creative and productive. It was also a good week for KC and I to be on the same page! :)  

Here are some things we did:

• chatted with KC about how we want to give back this month
• read an entire book... and started another (over achieving lol)
• spent a very hygge evening at home with KC and our kitter cats
• let go of some frequent plans, cutting back on social things helps with my anxiety!
• ordered a citrus+spruce candle as an "add on" to my Honest Bundle! Super excited to light it!
• we gave Olivia a box of fun crafty things on Saturday! 

We did not get our fridge cleaned out, because things got crazy, but it needs done, so I'll tack it on to this week. :) 

ALSO: I'm loving looking at my gratitude log so far. So fun! :) 

If you joined in in any way during week 1 or 2, thank you so much!! It means a lot to us, and it is nice to feel like there is a community of people trying to focus on the season, and who are rooting for you to succeed as you do the same! :) :)

Week 3:

November 13 - For today, clear your to-do list of all the non-fun things unless they are absolutely essential!

Ok then! :)

November 14 - Start making a holiday gift list (if you haven't already). Use Evernote to sync between devices.

We actually started this at the end of LYB(Holiday)L week 1. We were so organized and motivated that we knocked out determining our ideas, our budget, and even a few purchases. Today I'll plan to focus on getting a few more items purchased instead. :)

November 15 - Get started on an Advent calendar, or a similar project for another holiday celebration! If you celebrate Hanukkah, Yule, Kwanza, Winter Solstice, Milad un Nabi, etc. think about fun daily traditions you might want to try! Or any other special holiday project that has been on your mind! Getting an early start will help you achieve this goal!

We're not actively religious, but I have wanted to try some type of an Advent calendar. This year will be the year. I have a few ideas, but this prompt will the the kick in the pants I need to get going on it! :) 

November 16 - Set a bedtime alarm to prioritize sleep.

Needed for this night owl... alright. I will try it.

November 17 - Share a gratitude quote on Instagram that speaks to you, inspire others!

I am so excited about this one, I love quotes! Make sure to use #LYBHolidayL so we'll see it! :)

November 18 - Take a load of items you no longer use to Goodwill, or another thrift store!

These have only been packed up and sitting by our door for...8 months? And in our car on and off all year. LOL. IT IS TIME! Hallelujah for this prompt!

November 19 - Go for a fall walk

This will be good. KC and I are accustomed to taking our daily walks at work, but don't often do that on weekends. I'll be glad to get another day's worth of easy exercise in, and a chance to take in the pretty trees in our neighborhood.

What about you guys?! Are you planning to tag along?

Do you do any Advent or similar multi-day traditions for the winter holidays?!

How are you doing on your gift list?!

I'll be posting about the prompts using #LYBHolidayL on Instagram! Make sure to check in with Shea on her IG too! :) @simplyalexandra12 & @shealennon

XO,

Alexandra

Have You Heard? // Bastille - "World Gone Mad"

Happy Friday Friends! I hope that you had a great week. Ours was super laid back. We enjoyed ourselves so much. I felt lighter, more creative, and generally happier than I have in a long time! Crediting at least some of that to #lybholidayl , and additional bits of that to my boss and our housemates (aka my inlaws) being out of town this week. It just made it a bit easier to relax. I don't know if that makes sense, but I'll take it.

Bastille has come out with a new song, it is for a Netflix show called "Bright". Have you heard of this? I guess it has Will Smith and is urban fantasy taking place in an alternate present day. Alternate in the sense that orcs, elves, etc. also inhabit Earth. I'm intrigued, and surprised that my hubby hasn't mentioned it to me. Seems right up his alley.

Anyhow, I like that Bastille can put into words what it's like when the world is crazy...and you can't really do anything about it. Plus I will probably just love their music forever. So that's a thing.



What do you think? Have you heard of this show?

What are you up to this weekend?

We are planning to get quite a few things done, and also spend a bit of time with my sister Olivia. :) 

Other Posts This Week: LYBHolidayL Week 2 & 2016 Project Life album pt. III.

On YouTube This Week: October Daily Days 26-28, Days 29-31, and Full Album Flip Through. - had so much fun with October Daily, but glad to be done with it, and have all the videos up by the 10th of November! Not too shabby! :) 

XO,

Alexandra

2016 Project Life Album (Part III) // Documenting

Happy Wednesday Friends! I hope that you are having a great week! I'm excited because tonight's #lybholidayl prompt is to "get your hygge on". Yes, please!

In December... I decided to do a 2016 Monthly Project Life Album. Maybe it's because I got a lot of documenting gifts, or because I also bought myself a lot of things...? Either way, I had a blast going back through my year and documenting it. I just finished the full album in May, so I'm excited to share the photos and (much shorter!) videos with you!

Check out Part I, here. Check out Part II, here.

Part II - July - September

I love how these pages turned out, I loved looking back on fun times, and I loved taking the time to document a quiet month. After a busy summer we really needed some time for self-care. Another reminder that you don't have to have "big" things to document. Even the smallest stories or moments are worth preserving.

I played around with some fun stamps, and just went with the flow. I made another pocket to put some extra photos in when I (again) printed too many! :P

Check out the videos to see all the pages and hear some of the details on the products/events that happened in September 2016. :)

Videos

July



August



September



I had so much fun making this album (well.. 2 because... too many pages! LOL), I can't wait to show you guys the rest as the year goes on. :)

See Part I of this album, here. See Part II of this album, here.

To see the videos as they publish, consider following me on Youtube! :) 

How do you guys hang on to tiny special memories? 

Have you ever started a project WAY after the fact?

XO,


Alexandra

a

LYB(Holiday)L Week 2 // Seeking Holiday Calm

Happy Monday, guys! I hope that you had a great weekend! We really enjoyed ourselves and felt very productive! Making headway on the Christmas gift game! :) On to week 2 of LYBHolidayL! :) 

New here? The What & Why

Shea from Shea Lennon and I are super psyched to be kicking off LYB(Holiday)L this month! Starting November 1st (Wednesday!) we have one prompt per day to help us live a calmer, more organized, and peaceful holiday season! Each week we'll share the week's prompts, and our own ideas for how we'll do them. We'll give brief re-caps on the previous week as we go. The full list of daily prompts is on IG, and will be linked at the bottom of each of my posts. If you're a plan ahead type person, tape it into your planner or write it out to start thinking ahead. We hope that you'll join us! Use #LYBHolidayL to let us know when you tag along on social media! :) (see the full intro post and details, here).

Week 1 Recap:

My first partial #LYBHolidayL week went really well! I felt like I was able to do that mix of quick vs. longer tasks on the list, and feel productive! I also felt like I was working on taking care of myself. I really enjoyed the link that Shea shared related to "opening and closing ceremonies" for a holiday or season. The entire Lazy Genius podcast seems great. I have listened to all of the holiday ones, KC and I each filled out the "game plan" work sheet and feel super on the same page about the upcoming holidays now. :) We even sent it to family members in case it helped them as well/made it easier to plan in units. Thanks for sharing, Shea! The waffles were perfect, because I've been wanting to start a weekend breakfast ritual. AND my closet is a bit more cleaned up with some outfits ready to wear hanging in it. Score. :) Topping it off with a short list of daily gratitude to look back on just makes me smile. I might have to keep that up in my bullet journal in coming months! :)

If you joined in in any way during week 1, thank you so much! It means a lot to us, and it is nice to feel like there is a community of people trying to focus on the season, and who are rooting for you as you do! :) :)

Week 2:

November 6 - Give back this month: decide as a family how to "give back" to your community. (It could be a family volunteer day, or a monetary donation.) However small or large, give someone else something to be grateful for!

KC and I did something last year that worked well for us, we decided to give back in one way each week during November. It could be something big or small. Something monetary or time-based. I'm excited to give that another go this year. I think this would be a great family project, sit down as a group and ask for ideas on how you could give back this month. I bet it would be heart-warming to hear their ideas. :)

November 7 - Schedule in 30 minutes to curl up with a good book.

This is so needed for me. I haven't felt like reading at all in the past few weeks. Cuddling up with a good book is something I've been missing. I plan to pick up some non-fiction that I have sitting around, and we'll see how that goes. My brain is already heavy into the goals at the end of the year! :)

November 8 - Take a Break: get your hygge on

Oh Hygge, the Danes are my homepeople. Have you heard of Hygge (HOOGA?) It's all about coziness and taking it slow. I read THIS BOOK earlier this year, and it was so perfect. I plan to practice hygge tonight by taking it easy. Putting on some cozy socks, drinking hot chocolate, and relaxing with a book or magazine. We'll see how it goes. That's part of it, right? Going with the flow and doing what sounds best. :) 

November 9 - Let go of one thing you feel obligated to do, attend, or complete this month.

Whew, it is tough for me to say no. I am grateful for this one on the list. I plan to let go of making frequent week-night plans. Keeping my schedule lighter is going to help me spend more time on self-care and battling the to-do list this month.

November 10 - Treat yourself to a new, yummy-smelling candle.

We don't do fragrance at our house, BUT I do have a lavender candle from Honest Co. that I've been too lazy to light. Excited to finally give it a try! I also put the citrus spruce one in my bundle this month! I can't wait to light it! :) Nothing smells better to me than citrus or fresh trees.

November 11 - Clean out your fridge - get it holiday food influx ready!

This one is self explanatory! But I do plan to look through the pantry and freezer shelves too! #muchneeded *extra* My horoscope tells me that 11/11 is believed (by some) to be a "symbol that calls us to be lightworkers on the planet." So if you're still considering ideas about "giving back" from the 6th, maybe make decisions/put them into action today? (it's ok if you're rolling your eyes at me! :P)

November 12 - Give someone an unexpected gift (it could be mail, a quarter in their parking meter, a treat for your kiddo, a coffee for your cube neighbor, or something bigger)

I have a few sneaky ideas... but I can't share them here just yet. :)

What about you guys?! Are you planning to tag along?

Anyone else obsessed with hygge?

Are you good at saying "no"?

I'll be posting about the prompts using #LYBHolidayL on Instagram! Make sure to check in with Shea on her IG too! :) @simplyalexandra12 & @shealennon

XO,

Alexandra

Have You Heard? // Vance Joy - "Like Gold"

Squeeeee! Vance Joy put up his new song, "Like Gold". When he played this at his show last month, I loved it so much! I am so glad that it is out now, and that his next album is coming in February!!

Apologies to anyone who is REALLY REALLY tired of me posting Vance Joy songs once a month (at least..)... but I am super jazzed.



What do you guys think?!

What are you guys up to this weekend?!

We are finishing out the LOTR series tonight with KC's parents, making waffles for #lybholidayl Saturday morning, and seeing my mom and sister for lunch on Sunday. Sunday's #lybholidayl prompt is to "shop my closet" so I'm going to give that a serious effort, and get out some of our fall/winter things..., and hopefully finish up my October Daily album, so I can start my November gratitude one! :) Also, it's been cold here... so KC and I have both been really craving holiday shopping at the mall. I'm not even sure what we'd buy... but it just feels like Christmas shopping weather! Also, soft pretzels for life. In our city there is nowhere to get a soft pretzel like that. A few places have the super gourmet ones as appetizers, and we have super fake ones that are just bread in the shape of a pretzel.. no legit pretzels though. LOL.

Other Posts This Week: LYB(Holiday)L Week 1, Snapshots of Halloween 2017, and Ten Months In // 2017 Goal Progress.

On YouTube This Week: October Daily - Days 17-19, Day 20, Days 21-25.

Don't forget to join us when you can for #lybholidayl! We're having such a blast with it, and I love seeing who is tagging along! I am feeling more centered already! Shea shared this great link to a podcast where they are de-mistifying the holidays and all the stress. LOVING working on the worksheet to figure out our "game plan". Thanks for sharing that, Shea!

Does anyone else listen to this podcast?

Do you have a lot of opinions about soft pretzels...? LOL

XO,

Alexandra