Photo by Element5 Digital

Every time I sit outside on my balcony, glancing at the whimsical, colorful fall leaves, a part of me wants to hold onto fall for the rest of the year. Between the Pumpkin Cold Brew at Starbucks, warm cozy knits, and walks around my brownstone-lined neighborhood in this randomly-warm, then chilly weather in November (yeah, no one can tell me that global warming isn't real because NYC is usually cold af by now), there are still so many daily seasonal rituals that I want to focus on before the end of fall. But as soon as November 27th comes around (aka Black Friday) I will be in full-on holiday mode! 

I'm planning to have all of my holiday decor up a little bit earlier than usual so I can enjoy it for as long as possible before I head home for the holidays. I am notorious for waiting too long to turn my apartment into a holiday haven and not having enough time to enjoy the festive atmosphere. Well, you better believe that is changing this year. So I've already put together my home decor checklist and started the recording process. Because the earlier I plan, the better the deals I can score. I will have holiday music blasting, chicken biscuits to snack on, and sip on a new, festive holiday drink (probably a fancy hot chocolate) each weekend to celebrate the season. Ah, I'm so excited! My guess is, we will be spending more time at home this year, so we might as well turn our places into festive oases. 

Here are a few things that are still on my holiday decor wish list. My roommate and I ventured off to Dollar Tree this past weekend and found a lot of cute stuff! But there are still a few decor holes I want to fix... frugally of course. And we all know that Black Friday is prime for finding cute decor at insane discounts. 

Cheers to a magical holiday season. Do you have any holiday traditions that you're looking forward to this year? Please feel free to share in the comments below! I think we all need as many ideas as possible this year. It's been a doozy, so making this holiday season as magical as possible is basically a necessity. 

Photo by Svitlana

 Wow... like wowwwwww! It's insane how many historical events our generation has experienced in such a short amount of time. And, yeah, our anxiety is collectively at an all-time high, so it's crucial that we all take time this weekend and chillllll. For our physical and mental health. Plus, I'm hoping we will have a lot of reasons to celebrate this weekend (Team Biden & Harris all the freaking way). But since we are still in this state of limbo, I put together a mini weekend plan for myself, and figured, why not share? I hope my weekend unwind game plan encourages you to make one of your own too. Whether you're trying to be extra frugal this weekend or you're willing to spend a healthy amount on your self-care plan, I'm sending all the positive vibes and love your way this weekend. 

Let's Virtually Escape (well, for a moment at least)

One.) I come across a healthy amount of incredible resources each day because of my scope of work, but I rarely have time (or the energy to be totally honest) to read them during the workweek. So I typically save them all in an email or google doc and bookmark them, then I can enjoy on quiet Friday nights in or calm weekend mornings. Trust me, this ritual of catching up on articles/things that are swirling around in my mind while enjoying a warm cup of tea, coffee, mimosas or wine (depending on the time of day) is so freaking restorative for my mental health. I'm always in this internal battle to slow down while also wanting to get more done, so taking at least 30 minutes to an hour each weekend to explore random stuff that piques my interest is such a game-changer for my well-being. 

Here are a few things that have been on my radar lately

• How amazing is this cute Christmas gift! It would be the perfect goody/place setting gift for a safe Thanksgiving dinner gathering. I got the idea from The Fashion Magie + love that this ATL company employs Haitian women and pays them a higher wage!! YAAASS let's do more good 
• I've been wanting to try The Pilates Class for a while - but it's been insanely hard to get myself to consistently workout - then I did a virtual class on Thursday before my workday, and hello motivation!! I feel so much more motivated to get work done now and to show up for myself - I tell myself only 15 mins a day so I don’t feel overwhelmed.
• Doing this 30-day social media gratitude challenge is puts a smile on my face. I'm not actually following the prompt, but it's helpful when I'm stuck in a rut
• I want to focus on romanticizing life like Krista talks about in this post!
• This article about pivoting and this article about having an identity crisis in 2020 are basically like comfort food - such good reminders of why staying flexible and why not knowing what the fuck we are doing all the time is totally fine.
• Oop - are we all making this mistake that hurts our blatter? I know, not a sexy topic but our pelvic floor is hella important to take care of
• I have been feeling soooo burned out in so many areas of my life, so I need all the advice about burnout I can freaking get lol

Two.) I have a virtual therapy session scheduled for this Saturday morning!! Ah, I'm so proud of myself. I have been wanting to go back to therapy for a few months, but I also wanted to save money, so I told myself I could hold off on the therapy for a while. Fast-forward to election week, and I FREAKED THE FUCK OUT. I became a literal hot ass mess - like I'm talking multiple panic attacks, overdrinking like crazy, no sleep, and spending waaayyy too much money - aka touching my savings (anxiety spending is REAL). So, I threw myself back into cognitive behavioral therapy. When I get me shit together, it's over for all you bitches - lmao.  

Three.) I'm dedicating time to writing and working on my digital platform. I've been somewhat upset with myself because I have rarely had the energy to dedicate to building the brand I want to build. I'm trying to be gentle with myself because, well, fucking pandemic and election year - enough said, right. But sitting down tonight to write this post has already made me feel so energized and fulfilled. I know this probably sounds nerdy to some people, but writing is insanely therapeutic for me. 

Four.) Having a chicken nugget and wine night at my place with 3 of my closest friends. Having a night in with the 3 people I've been in a bubble with this year (I was quarantined in a condo with 2 of these three people for 3 months so they have become my extended family). There's something so satisfying about just chilling on the couch, saving money, and watching trash tv with your closest friends. And we feel a little bit more socially responsible because we are staying in our little bubble instead of going out into the city and being around strangers - even if those strangers are 6 ft apart. 

And Five.) Planning for the holiday season early!! This year has been shit. I need all the cheer and romanticism I can get. Therefore, holiday movies, holiday music, and holiday treats start TODAY! I'm embracing Thanksgiving and Christmas on a whole new level this year. I will find little moments of joy each freaking day. And most importantly, I really want to amp up my charitable initiatives this season. So many people are hurting, and most of those people tend to be single moms of color. I've always had a soft spot for single moms because I think they are the strongest people on the planet. But thinking about women navigating finances and raising a child in a pandemic and recession seriously breaks my heart. So I'll be sharing jolly ways to spread joy over the next few weeks. Putting a smile on someone else's face is the best escape there is. 

What's on your weekend bucket list? II'd love to hear below. Wishing you a relaxing and fulfilling weekend.