thankful thoughts

On this lovely Thanksgiving I though it would be appropriate to take some time and jot down things I'm thankful for. 

I'm thankful for the labor of love that I call home. It was a ton of work to get it renovated, but I couldn't be happier with the end result. Even though we still have some repairs to make and walls to paint, it's the place I call home now and I am grateful to have a roof over my head. 

I'm thankful for my other half. I'm sure that I drive him crazy most days, but he loves me anyways. We have had so many adventures together and I can't wait to see what's in store for us next! I'm so glad I agreed to go on a date with him two and a half years ago. Best.decision. ever.

I'm thankful for my family that helps keep my compass pointed in the right direction. They are always there with any issues that I may have, including long distance grocery shopping when I can't find an item. I know for a FACT that I can drive them all crazy in a span of 10 minutes, but they love me. Without them I wouldn't be where I am today. 

I'm thankful for all the friends in my life, near and far. When I moved to a new city, and didn't know very many people, Cam's friends were all nice to me and welcomed me into their group. I'm especially thankful for my far away friends and their commitment to keep in touch on a regular basis. Without the support from them, this move would have been a disaster.

I'm thankful for sports. Yes sports. Sports in my life have brought people closer and given them a common bond that they can discuss at length. Going to JMU football games with the family, experiencing the Winter Classic in Washington D.C. with family, and going to College Game Day together allow us to reminisce on the fun times we had at these events. Sports and sporting events are a large part of my life and I love it!

Happy Thanksgiving yall!

books to read

With the holidays right around the corner I wanted to make a mental note of some books that I want to get reading. Some of these are being made into movies, so the hope is to finish them before they hit the big screen. In no particular order these are the few that I am interested in reading.

 Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

Orphan Train by Cristina Baker Kline

The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham

e-reader comparison

Christmas season is upon us and I have decided that I am going to buy an e-reader for myself this year. This is totally out of the ordinary for me, you can read about it here. I am very much a "book in hand" kind of person so an e-reader is very different for me. Since I am new to the e-reader world I have to do some research before pulling the trigger on a purchase. 

Kindle // Kindle Paperwhite // Nook GlowLite Plus // Kobo Glo HD

The O.G. Kindle from Amazon is what I was initially thinking about buying. The battery life is a few weeks and has built in wi-fi which is awesome. The best part of the Kindle is that it is back-lit so there is no glare when you read in the sunlight. 

The other Kindle product is the Kindle Paperwhite. It is a new version with any similarities to the O.G. Kindle. The Paperwhite has a custom font called "Bookerly" from Amazon that is supposed to make reading easier on the eyes and quicker using a more natural font. This e-reader also has a feature that allows you to change the brightness (light-night) reading

There is also Barnes and Noble's version called the Nook GlowLite Plus. The battery life is supposedly six weeks for this e-reader. The Nook is also scratch resistant, finger print resistant, and waterproof. I feel like this is a lesser known product, so it may not hold as many books. 

Finally there is the Kobo Glo HD. I have never heard of this company or this product. This product has ComfortLight which is supposed to distribute light equally throughout the screen. The Kobo Glo allows you to personalize your e-reader with 11 different fonts and multiple size increments. It claims to have a two month battery life depending on usage. 

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When it comes down to it I feel like I will want to hold each on in my hand to see which one feels the best in my hand while reading it. Size is also a big factor, because I want something that can fit in my purse or backpack. Wish me luck while I search for the perfect e-reader!

30 before 30

Just a list of things I hope to do before I turn 30 years old. Some things on the list are monetary, some are personal, and others are just a little bit random...like me! Enjoy my list of 30 things and watch me cross them off slowly but surely.



To be completed by March 17, 2020

1. Add another stamp to my passport
2. Get married
3. Own a home
4. Pay off all my student loans
5. Join a book club
6. Read all seven Harry Potter books-I realize that I'm late to the party
7. Pay for a stranger's meal
8. Give my parents a vacation
9. Meet a famous person
10. Give my entire tax return to someone in need
11. Visit two new stadiums
12. Learn to play piano correctly...it's a long story
13. Visit the Grand Ole Opry
14. Adopt a dog from the shelter
15. Host an awesome Super Bowl party
16. Book a massage/spa day for myself
17. Finish an entire Chapstick before losing it.
18. Add at least two more stamps to my National Parks Passport
19. See one of my teams win a championship- I get that I can't control this, but a girl can wish
20. Sit in studio during the Bobby Bones Show
21. Be a bone marrow match for someone
22. Create an organized bill paying system
23. Visit another pro sports Hall of Fame (already been to Canton, OH)
24. Be a mom
25. Host Thanksgiving at my house
26. Give up soda for 30 days
27. Become a Skimm'bassador
28. Open an Etsy shop
29. Continue Project 365 in some form
30. Find a solid gym routine

To track the completion you can check out the page on the blog 30 X 30

currently || november

craving || I am ready for all the comforts of Thanksgiving. As much as I love Christmas, I don't want to rush past Thanksgiving, because that holiday has the best food. Ready to try some new recipes this month and sit down at the end and enjoy a nice home cooked meal.

ordering || Now that I have my Erin Condren planner, and have figured out the best way to plan for me, I have been browsing/buying on Etsy. There are a lot of shops with some cute designs. If you are interested in planning with stickers check out a few of my favorite shops like Sweet Kawaii Design, The Little Sticker Shop, and Plan In Color

planning || Hopefully a "Friendsgiving" for our new house. We don't even have a dining room table yet, so not sure if a housewarming/Thanksgiving party will happen, but I will be planning for one just in case.

reading || #TheSkimm...EVERY SINGLE DAY. I am loving the Skimm since I started reading it a few weeks ago. It is the best way to catch up on what's happening in politics, sports, technology, and other topics around the world. Check out The Skimm to be in the know in your office!

decorating || We have decorated with some fall decor on the inside of our house, but we are still in search of the perfect dining room table. It is hard to decorate and unpack without a table to plan around. Fingers crossed that we can find one sometime his month, before Christmas rolls around.

the skimm

I realize that I am wayyyy late to the party, but I am loving the Skimm right now. If you are looking for something you can read in the time that it takes to brew your coffee, or commute to work the Skimm is IT!

I honestly love opening my email every week day and seeing a new Skimm waiting for me. It's a quick read of important things happening around the world. Topics include current events, politics, technology, sports, and the list goes on. This is a great way to catch up so you can participate in office conversation and not look like a moron who doesn't watch the news. 

Here is a peek at today's Skimm about the upcoming GOP debate tonight.

Don't take my word for it......check it out The Skimm for yourself!!

erin condren life planner

Last week one of the best things showed up at my front door. My Erin Condren Life Planner was waiting for me on the front porch when I got home from vacation! EEEKKKK!!! Needless to say I was pretty pumped about it, I mean how cute is this packaging!

When you order the Ready to Ship Life Planner it also comes with a few freebies inside. Along with the planner you get a a sticker (top left light blue), am adorable post card (top right), and gift tag stickers for birthdays and other special gifts (bottom). I don't know yet how I plan on using these, but it's nice to have these things around. 

Since it is the 10th anniversary of Erin Condren all orders also included this adorable gold-foiled print. I will probably frame this and keep it on my desk or in the craft room at the house. Again, it's nice to have a free gift but not quite sure how I plan on using it. 

This is the standard cover that the Ready to Ship Life Planner comes with. You also get a $10 off your next purchase coupon code so you can essentially get a different cover if you prefer. I may get a personalized cover, but I am also thinking about getting some accessories. The code never expires so I have some time to decide how I want to spend my $10

Erin Condren Life Planners have two separate layouts. They have what's called a horizontal layout and a vertical layout. The one shown below is the vertical layout. If you want to see what the horizontal layout looks like, you can check out this YouTube video. I decided on the vertical layout even though I don't separate my days into "morning" "afternoon" and "night". I instead like to separate mine by "work" "personal" and "to do". If you search YouTube for planning videos you will see that a lot of people go all out with stickers and such, but I'm not quite there yet. I don't think I will ever be that person who uses my planner as a "scrapbook" like some but who knows. 

Overall I am THRILLED with my Erin Condren Life Planner and could not be happier! I do plan on decorating my planner some, just not over the top.