SOCIAL MEDIA

27 November 2017

Our Birthday Celebration

These past four days have been amazing because Alex & I had them off together. On Saturday Alex & I had an early joint birthday celebration. Since our birthdays are only twelve days apart we decided to celebrate them together this year. Mainly because Alex will be working like crazy during December. Who knew the catering business was so busy during then? So, we headed over to St. Pete for the day. We went to Sunken Gardens, had a delicious lunch at Three Birds Tavern and haunted three different record stores.
We were blown away by Sunken Gardens, it was a first time for both of us too. I loved the succulent garden the most. The cacti made me feel like I was back in California. There was a chill in the air so the weather was perfect. It felt like a little maze and Alex was marking all the locations off the map like he was in a video game. It was pretty funny. We even saw some birds as well, parrots and flamingos to name a few.
09 November 2017

30 Days of Slow Living Challenge

The older I get the more I realize that a minimalist lifestyle is one that I enjoy the most. In fact, one that I truly crave. I know that might sound silly, but the idea of slow living really speaks to me. I also enjoy the theory of lagom and hygge. However, unlike hygge and lagom, slow living is something I need to work on. Therefore I've decided to challenge myself with thirty days of slow living... I meant to start this at the beginning of November but it's never too late to start right?

30 DAYS OF SLOW LIVING CHALLENGE
  1. Start and stick to a morning ritual.
  2. Meditate for ten minutes, or more.
  3. De-clutter your digital life.
  4. Don't complain for a day, say something positive instead.
  5. Identify your top priorities.
  6. Maximize time spent alone.
  7. Clean out your closets - donate what you can.
  8. Examine your daily habits - find what brings you happiness.
  9. Learn a new skill.
  10. Stay offline for a whole day.
  11. No social media until after lunch.
  12. Don't buy anything for three days.
  13. Practice single-tasking.
  14. Define your goals for the following year.
  15. Go for a walk and practice mindfulness.
  16. Don't watch TV all day, read or write instead.
  17. Journal for ten minutes about what you're grateful for.
  18. Create a relaxing bedtime routine.
  19. Make some homemade bread or seasonal recipe.
  20. Practice gratitude - write a hand-written note and give it to someone you're grateful for.
  21. Identify stress triggers and avoid them.
  22. Let go of an unattainable goal and journal about it.
  23. Leave a whole day unplanned.
  24. Have a picnic with someone you love.
  25. Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee with no distractions.
  26. Evaluate the last five purchases made.
  27. Tell someone how you feel about them.
  28. One night, don't use any lights, use candles instead.
  29. Enjoy today's moments and don't take any photos to document it.
  30. Make a new recipe from scratch.
If you think you might join along in this challenge, let me know in the comments below. I think it will be fun!
07 November 2017

Alex lost AND found a new job within 24 hours...

The past few days have been an absolute whirlwind. Last Thursday, Alex came home from work earlier than anticipated. The reason... he got laid off. The restaurant he had been working for isn't doing so well financially and they expressed to him that they just couldn't afford him anymore. To say that I was freaking out would have been a mild understatement. I was FREAKING OUT. Notice the all caps situation there? That whole Thursday evening was spent at his parents with us in an utter state of disbelief and a little fear.

But the next morning I woke up with the strangest sense of calm, but I rolled with it without questioning it. As awful as it seemed, this was really for the best. No one likes a sinking ship, especially when it is a job. I knew Alex would find a job, even if it meant taking a crappy one just to make ends meet until the right one came along. For that, I am thankful - he's such a hard worker and dedicated to always making sure that we are taken care of, no matter what.

And I didn't need to really worry at all. By the end of Friday (seriously not even 24 hours after he was laid off ) Alex was hired by an awesome catering company in town - the owner even called Alex a "godsend". It's nice knowing I'm not the only person who views him that way. ;) Thankfully the catering company has been around for a very long time, is doing well financially, and are willing to give Alex the pay he deserves. It may not be as glamours as Alex had hoped for, but with management in the near future, it will mean a lot for whenever we do start a family.

He started his new job today and I'm happy to announce that he likes it! In fact, he was worried he wouldn't like it as much as he does. Go figure!