The first Lately post of 2023! I hope your year is off to a great start! When I was looking back at each individual month from 2022 for a content review, it was kind of crazy just how much I did this year both with this blog, socially, and personally! At the same time, the year has passed by in the blink of an eye. I am constantly trying to make sense of how time works; I swear, I cannot keep track sometimes, and things that feel like they were yesterday were many years ago. Getting older is wild, guys!
Did you all have a nice holiday if you celebrated? We definitely did! It was the coldest stretch of weather we have had in a very long time here in Pittsburgh. From the 23rd-25th, it was just wild! The 'feels like' got to -30! We dripped our faucets and kept our heat higher than usual because we were worried about frozen pipes! Thankfully, all was OK, but I know many in the area did not have as good luck! The weather became so mild shortly after. We have had temps in the upper 40s and even 50s and low 60s. I am SO here for that!
My week-long blog hiatus was lovely. I missed it by the end, which is always my goal. I needed to be reinvigorated. It made me realize how I felt so uninspired and lagged overall as we were closing out the year!
I got a lot done around the house with some small organization projects and put away the Christmas decor. I did quite a bit of work to close out the year, mostly just housekeeping items and things I've been putting off for too long! January is always that 'housekeeping' month for my job. It's annoying, but once it's over, it feels good!
This year is the first 'normal' year I will have had in a long time. And I should knock on wood saying that! It has been A LOT in these past years! Mostly wonderful-some of the best days of my life, but some bad thrown in there, too. It's life!
I am looking forward to a planned trip to Charleston in March and then a summer trip to Nantucket in June to celebrate my husband's birthday. We haven't been since 2019, and my parents are coming with us to Nantucket, so that will be fun. I'm a bridesmaid in one of my best family friend's weddings in September, but other than that, nothing crazy 'big' is on the docket, and that alone brings me joy!
In 2023, I'm looking forward to enjoying our home and spending time with Henry, my husband, family, and friends. I'm excited to have time to check out more Pittsburgh restaurants and happenings. We are going to see Cirque du Soleil tonight, actually! I have never seen a show before!
My fitness has been totally derailed by a handful of things. UGH! So I look forward to re-focusing and getting back into a good routine. I had been going to Orange Theory regularly without a break since September 2019. Even during the pandemic, I went to Orange Theory when it was open and when it was closed, I did the live stream at-home workouts. So this was my first large break from the workout in years. I was out for 3 full months! During that time, I rowed at home and walked a lot, so I wasn't completely sedentary, which is a silver lining. I work out first and foremost to decrease my anxiety. Working out positively impacts my life in all facets. When I routinely work out, I sleep better, am happier, feel better, am nicer, and am just a better person. By late December, I was fully noticing how much of a negative impact missing those 3 months had on me. I went back to Orange Theory yesterday. It felt SO good and was confirmation that it was exactly what I needed! I already can't wait to go back!
Similar Sweater (on sale)// Boots
Crossbody Bag (under $200, comes in a bunch of colors)
Shop The Outfit:
Eating: These are two items I picked up from Trader Joe's that are just wonderful. The Picante peppers filled with cream cheese are so flavorful and make a great snack on their own, a good addition to a charcuterie board, but I added them to scrambled eggs, and wow, it added so much flavor! I will also chop some up for a pasta dish! I love cabbage, and this stir-fried garlicky cabbage had SO much flavor and was such a quick and easy side to serve with our dinner one night. Cabbage is so inexpensive, so this was a little pricey for what it is, but I will still repurchase it because of how delicious it was!
Drinking: I've been cutting back on my coffee intake (which is really unlike me!!!). Some mornings I choose to have coffee, and others, I will choose tea. Don't get me wrong, I love coffee, but switching it up is good for me! Harney and Sons citron green tea is my latest favorite thing. I put a big squeeze of lemon in it, and it's so light, fresh, and cozy. Just delicious and the perfect winter drink.
Reading: I've been the WORST reader for the past few years. In 2020, I read some, which was nice, but in 2021 and 2022, I didn't read many books. It makes me a little sad because I used to love to read. I was a lifeguard in the summers in high school and college. It was mostly at small residential pools, so there would be long periods where literally no one would come to the pool, and if no one was there, I was allowed to read. I read SO much during those summers. I remember feeling so passionate about reading, and for me now, I just don't give myself the time for it. So I'm going to work on that. If you have any amazing book recs- something that will really pull me in, let me know. I love World War II-era stuff like Once We Were Brothers, The Book Thief, All The Light We Cannot See, The Nightingale, etc. I'm starting with the Silent Patient which has been sitting on my Kindle for literally 2 years at this point.
Dress (use code SYDNEY15 for 15% off)
Sale: Oliphant renewed my discount code for 15% off your purchase with code SYDNEY15! If you are unfamiliar with the brand, they create beautiful and unique clothing in bright colors and fun prints. They have all different silhouettes, and the quality is great. It's too cold here for the dress they sent me, but I had to show you all because it's gorgeous. It's hard to tell in the photo, but the dress's stripes are metallic gold, so they shimmer and shine. It's a showstopper of a dress! Overall, the brand runs true to size but roomy. I usually get a size small, which is my true size, and it fits like a 4-6, so if you are between sizes, I suggest sizing down.
Watching: I finally finished season 2 of Firefly Lane on Netflix. I am hot and cold with that show. It is good, and then sometimes I think I'm watching a Lifetime movie. But I stuck with it and the last episode left with a cliffhanger. I'm anxious to see that last part this summer! We just started Killing Eve (Hulu) because my sister and brother-in-law recommended it. I randomly watched The Invitation, which is a movie on Netflix. I had no idea what it was about and didn't realize it was a horror movie. I would not recommend it! But other than that, I haven't been watching much.
Wanting: This jacket is giving me Toteme vibes for less and in a more classic way! Isn't this bow necklace gorgeous?! I'm craving casual staples like this denim shirt. I'm picturing it with brown boots and cream jeans!
Amazon Rec: I just got these nude shapewear shorts, and I love them. They suck me in, but I also wanted them for shorter dresses, where I am always worried about accidentally showing too much! You can find more of my Amazon favorites here!
Smelling: I've been burning this candle post-Christmas, and it's such a good scent. Even my husband said he loves it and is not a huge candle/scent person. The price is relatively great, considering the candle comes in a beautiful vessel you can repurpose. A beautiful gifting candle, that's for sure!
Traveling: Unless we do something last minute, we are not traveling until March! In 2022 we traveled so much that I almost I was missing out on Pittsburgh. Also, it was upending my daily routine more than I'd liked. I love to travel, don't get me wrong, but I do look forward to more routine in 2023! Henry and I are alike in that we thrive with routine, ha!!!
Quoting: 'Your direction is more important than your speed'// See more of my favorites here.
No comments:
Post a Comment