Tuesday Motivation

 

“Remember, you become what you think. Think discouraging thoughts, and you’ll get discouraged.” – Joyce Meyer

Keeping positive this week,

ARS X

S U B S C R I B E

Pretty Pins for Finishing July on a Strong Note

What I really wanted to type out was "pretty pins for a panicked moment" but I'm trying to move to a more positive headspace. I had a moment of clarity at a friend's birthday dinner about the state of my life. I'm not where I want to be in any aspect of my life and that was a pretty hard pill to swallow. Like many people I reevaluated my life in 2020 and found myself lacking in a lot of places and made some radical (for me) changes to my lifestyle and continued the trend into 2021. After a few blows, I definitely backslid a bit when it came to a few goals and now I need to put on my adult pants and get myself back on that positive trend. This week I'm making a major effort to get myself back on track in some way, but it will be tricky. Below are a few pins inspiring me to end July on a good note. 

Ready for the week ahead,

ARS xx

S U B S C R I B E

Currently...

Signing the Bain de Soleil petition to bring it back! This product is summer in a bottle and gives me the absolute best tan. I'm down to my last precious bottle and I'm pretty upset about it. It's been my signature sunscreen for over 20 years and I am struggling to find a replacement for the iconic orange gelee. I'll miss my San Tropez tan! 

Watching Season 3 of Virgin River on Netflix. I'm not a true fan of this show, but the scenery is stunning which has kept me coming back for more. The plot is easy to follow but it's a bit of a downer, which is why it's not my favorite show. I've always wanted to move to a small mountain town, so the idea of the show is so great but I just wish it was a bit more...uplifting! 

Celebrating that my windows are finally clean! I'm lucky that my building actually cleaned all of the window's this summer, because not only was this on my summer to-do list but it was on my 101 in 1001 list. I'm happy to report that the apartment already feels brighter and happier! 

Making a few wardrobe updates to get me through this bigger season I'm in. I didn't plan on buying many clothes until I fully funded my emergency fund, but I've been struggling with my weight for some time now and while I have made a few tweaks, I am not dropping the weight off as quickly as I had hoped. My clothes are just not fitting me and I have a few occasions coming up that definitely require a new dress. I purposefully bough dresses I could tailor down once I hit my normal weight again! 

Enjoying weekly spa nights. I treated myself to a summer specific kit, which was put together by BlueMercury and it inspired a summer of spa nights. I've been enjoying long baths, hair masks, body scrubs and manicures. I learned the importance of treating myself last year, but this year I've embraced it even more. 

TGIF,

ARS xx

S U B S C R I B E

Pretty Pins for A Good Week

I don't know how to explain it, but the energy I've felt post-birthday has been so positive. I am hesitant to even write that out in fear of jinxing myself, but I can't help but feel optimistic. I don't know if it's a shift in mindset, the sunny summer weather or simply seeing friends regularly for the first time in over a year, but I just have a good feeling about what lies ahead for me this year. I'm keeping this week's note quick but below you can find a roundup of images that are inspiring me during this short work week. 

Hoping you are also having a great week!

ARS xx

S U B S C R I B E

101 in 1001 Progress Report

It's kind of perfect that my second 101 in 1001 update landed on a Monday. While I wish I could say I knocked a lot of tasks off my list, I actually didn't make any major strides and made the most bare minimum effort. I'm not beating myself up over it, but I am hopeful that in the next few months I can cross a few more line items. 

Completed: 

Magazine subscriptions: A big treat this January was subscribing to magazines I regularly buy in stores. Having them mailed to me not only saves me a ton of money but also, should there be another lockdown, I have access to new entertainment that I missed the first time around.

Cooking 25 New Recipes: Like I said in an earlier post, I am giving a lot of credit to my subscription box Martha & Marley Spoon, but I really enjoyed this challenge. Discovering the joy of cooking has been such a treat (pun intended) and has grounded me during these turbulent times. 

In Progress:

Birthday Spa Day: I plan on treating myself to a spa day later this July, maybe even in Palm Beach. Due to the timing of my birthday and the auction season I didn't get to take the day off. 

10 New to Me Restaurants in NY: I finally got to try out a few new places! Between indoor dining opening up and the summer weather I've been venturing out a bit more. 

50 Handwritten Notes: I am happy to say I'm chugging along with the handwritten notes! I sent out a few to welcome friends back downtown, just to say hi, and to thank them for weekend getaways. It's been such a joy to connect with friends in a less virtual way. 

Emergency Fund: I am continuing to build my emergency fund, brick by brick, and I'm hoping to make some major progress over the next few months and be done earlier than my anticipated April 2022 end date. If all goes well I'll be done before the New Year. Woohoo! 

Up Next:

The next few months are going to be dedicated to getting a few of my "I've been meaning to do this but never did" tasks. I'm really eager to make some major moves in regards to my finances and make sure everything is in order, which includes either rolling over my old 401k into a Roth IRA or my current companies 401k plan. I'm also hoping to check off a few of my "Palm Beach" to-dos this summer, particularly make it to Tammy Fender and go to the Colony Club! I want to do some personal work and part of that is finishing the Rachel Cruze Gratitude journal and getting a month of consistent workouts in, which I think will be good for both my mind and body. Overall I think the next 6 months will be good for catching up on those tasks I wanted to get done and a few fun things too!