I have always believed that routine is the core of discipline and success. I have been adding more go-to behaviors into my daily lifestyle to help establish a routine piece-by-piece. Here are a few of my basic favorites that I count on to get through the day!
My current wardrobe– similar to the style I indicated in a few fashion-related posts, I have been sticking with a solid color blouse, neutral pants, and a cardigan. It’s a convenient way to stay clean, casual, and comfortable. I can dress it down in jeans, or dress it up with accessories!
My favorite makeup– In keeping with my style, my makeup is neutral, clean, but pretty! I put on foundation (Fenty, of course) and blush (NARS Orgasm) on my face, as well as a few applications of mascara. I always use Anastasia BH eyebrow pencil on my eyebrows. I’ve found that eyebrows are key to framing my face (and looking awake!). I use a sparkly eyeshadow on the whole of my eyelid, in a shade that is a few hues golder than my natural skin tone. To add a bit more dimension, I put a near rose-gold color in my crease. This creates a natural looking smoky-eye. I top it all off with a NARS lip pencil (I’ve been basically going back and forth between Dolce Vita and Do Me, Baby), with a layer of chapstick beneath the color.
Workout routine– I have been flipping back and forth, keeping a balance of cardio and strength training. When I can afford to take more time, I’ll do a strength training routine and a 45-minute treadmill walk. If I have less than an hour (depending on working from home, a day off of work, or working in the office), I’ll flip between a strength training session or a treadmill run. I’ve been sticking to two rest days, but I think that I might adjust that to one rest day for the next three months, and bring it back to two rest days after the wedding. Every little adjustment counts!
Go-to snacks — I will now, and forever, sing the praises of Halo Top. It’s been my post-dinner treat almost every day for months! Knowing I can have a little sweetness at the end of dinner makes it easier to ignore the call of vending machine Reeses Cups. On an even healthier level, I have been enjoying parmesan cheese and Pink Lady apples! I find that all three are filling, low-calorie snacks that are good for my body and my soul. Seriously, next time you go to the supermarket, get some Pink Lady apples!
Early bedtime — I’ve been trying to get into the bedroom by 9 PM. By starting my routine then, I’m certainly in bed by 10 PM, and more often, asleep by 10 PM. Seven hours of sleep seems to hit me just right!
Face mask — I love a sheet mask as much as the next person, but lately, I’ve been going gold. Spa-scription has a gold wash off mask that makes me feel like a queen. It washes off after fifteen minutes, so I have time to finish the rest of my bed-time routine. All that’s left after rinsing the mask off is to apply my serum (vitamin-C filled for a glowing complexion), an under-eye gel, and chapstick. Boom! Bedtime for me.
Favorite meal — A huge money and time saver at dinner? Rotisserie chicken! Gone are my days of buying raw chicken, behold a full bird that can be the base of chicken tacos, chicken and couscous, and BBQ sandwiches. Aaron’s parents bought a rotisserie chicken to use for enchiladas and Aaron’s birthday dinner, as opposed to cooking it themselves. It added flavor and saved lots of time. Healthy and filling for sure!
Adding go-tos saves time and increases efficiency in my schedule. It feels good to add structure, bit-by-bit! This time next year I will be a well-oiled machine of discipline. It’s all part of the “fake it till you make it” lifestyle. The more billionaire habits I have, the sooner I’ll be a billionaire. Right? That’s how it works, right?
I’ve been struggling a lot with expectations for myself lately. I feel like my brain is forever running at a million miles an hour while still somehow only actually getting 1 mile in distance. Maybe the reason I struggle so much with weight loss is because my brain is constantly moving and digesting, so I think I’m burning more than I actually am.
I feel like I keep compounding expectations for my body and my mind, expectations that I set for myself based on expectations that my fiancé, friends, and family set for me. When it comes to my weight loss for this year, I keep trying to live like I lived when I lost weight the first time around, but that isn’t necessarily possible. At that time in my life I was desperate, walking everywhere, and had the opportunity to live a life away from everyone else’s opinions. Nowadays I don’t have any of those luxuries. I am forever en communicado with the people I love and my city is only walked two streets at a time by the bold jaywalking tourists. I’ve joined the rat race and it shows.
I think most people would agree that having people is easier than being alone, and I’m not saying that’s not fair, but it puts you on a different wavelength than you are when you have only yourself to give you feedback. I feel like now I’m working as another entity, as a friend/sister/daughter/girlfriend, when I should be working as Mallory, who happens to be all those things.
It’s possible that it all comes from an increasing volume of responsibility, in which all of these people who influence me may have an impact on my choices, but they will suffer little to no consequences of my actions. That level of responsibility is only going to grow as I continue to develop as an adult, so maybe my being stagnant in my own mental state or the presence of my mental roadblocks stem from a fear of failing with that inevitable additional responsibility. It’s almost as though if I were to stay in the same place, it’d be impossible for me to move up and have more responsibility.
It’s impossible for me to have no outside influence at this point in my life. But I should at least lessen their impact or not even include them in my day-to-day. I can still keep my life separate from theirs without shutting anyone out completely. How am I supposed to grow if I let everyone else do the growing for me?
This morning I rolled out of bed and went to the gym. I came home and took a shower. In the shower I thought to myself, “Hm. My stomach kinda hurts.”
I got out of the shower and started making celery juice. Mid-blend I thought to myself, “Oh, my stomach does hurt.”
I finished my juice, brought a coffee to Aaron, and leaned over to kiss him goodbye and thought to myself, “Okay, yeah, my stomach definitely hurts.”
Then I hopped into my car and started off to work. I thought to myself “Good lord. I’m in so much pain. I cannot move. Call 911. I need to go home.”
My poor stomach! I got into the office and went home two hours later, thanks to my understanding supervisor. I can’t describe how much pain I had this morning. I couldn’t talk, I could barely move, it felt like I was being attacked by tiny men in my body banging away at my organs with small hammers.
But! I put on sweatpants, took an ibuprofen, and quickly put a heating pad over my tummy, and by 5PM I was back to normal. It was a tough day but immediately after my work day I got the dishes done.
I sat down to watch Netflix before dinner and I have not really gotten up since!
The epiphany has happened: IT’S. THIS. COUCH.
I collapse onto it, and then I collapse on myself, getting up only to eat whatever is most convenient in the pantry or the fridge. I fall asleep and then wake up to scroll Instagram, then keep my eyes on the screen until I go to sleep in my actual bed.
I sound depressed. Or tired. I love that it’s both.
I need to stay away from this couch every night except Fridays. I like being productive! It’s just so easy to get lethargic in a sofa this cozy.
I want to start working on my Italian before my trip later this fall. That’s what I should be doing with my lying around time! I need to get off this cozy chair and go do something. It’s almost 9 PM, but in general.
Speaking of, 9 PM my last two brain cells are disintegrating, so I think my mark of productivity for the evening will be a quick bullet journal entry, washing my hair and going to bed at a reasonable hour.
Lately, I’ve been reflecting on how to find my aesthetic. I partially (if not fully) blame Lauryn Evarts Bosstick, AKA the #Bossbabe behind “The Skinny Confidential.” It appears that she has been a hot-pink lover for years. Her blog is pink, her office is pink, it’s all cool, LA girl Barbie-Meets-Kardashian. It’s like Playboy, but instead of objectification and misogyny, it’s empowerment and being true to your you.
I don’t really think I have an identifying, signature thing about me. When I think about things I’ve always liked, New York stands out the most. I’ve always loved the streets of Manhattan, the glitz and the glamour and the possibilities. That said, I’m not really sure how I’d build an aesthetic off of that. I’ve always liked the different decades, but you see the plurality? I love the neon of the eighties, the faded but violent seventies, the classy yet youthful sixties. I’m not entirely sure I could build my entire personal aesthetic around that.
IF I were to just focus on New York, I think immediately of classy white with VOGUE font. Crisp, classic, Upper East Side in the nineties, I suppose. That doesn’t really fit me either, because I love pops of color.
Looking back, I think that I truly got sold on New York City when I was seven. I had already started falling in love with Broadway shows, but it was in music class when my teacher put on “Fantasia 2000” and I heard Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin for the first time. The vignette takes place in what looks like 1930s New York City, and depicts the lives of a little girl with workaholic parents (relatable. I just realized that. Wow. I need a minute), a construction worker with a passion for jazz percussion, a wealthy couple starving for more –in more ways than one– and an unemployed man down on his luck. It opens with the sunrise over the NYC skyline, which stood out to me as a kid, because it looks like they draw it all with an Etch-a-Sketch, all one line set to the opening clarinet solo. The short has a happy ending (spoiler alert), and it all culminates in an epic finale that fades out with a shot of Times Square, all lit up with majesty.
I get shivers thinking about it. Hearing the finale used for Jay Gatsby eleven years later made me almost burst into tears in the theatre. Who better to symbolize the hope and potential of New York than The Great Gatsby?
I think a lot of who I am as a person can also be attributed to my love of food. Lately, I feel like I should stop being mad at my sweet tooth and just start owning it. I want to find the balance between being a cute chocoholic without… getting type 2 diabetes.
Along with that, I think I’m well defined by my near-childlike sense of wonder. I don’t think of it as clinging to youth, but more like holding fast to the belief that all things in life are possible and beautiful.
Since doing my 30 Days of Poetry Challenge, I’ve been spending more time in Photoshop. I’m no graphic designer by any means, but I think I’m going to try to make a logo of an infinity symbol with my name on the top lip. Is that cliche? I find all things infinite. I bet that every brand specialist would tell me that the first rule is to define myself and to not care what anyone else thinks, but simultaneously, I feel like infinity symbols are very cliche, very basic.
I guess when you get to the root of it, things are basic because they’re relatable. My film professor always hated that word. I love that even autocorrect is giving me a red squiggle for it (it’s also giving me the red squiggle for the word autocorrect, for a little added irony). I don’t think there’s wrong with speaking to something everyone feels. Someone took a mathematical symbol and made it emblematic of the possibilities of life. Possibilities are limitless, the very universe we live in is infinite.
I think this is all part of the process. For now, I’m going to fold the laundry that has been piling up– the Photoshop can wait, that laundry can’t. I’m going to look up some books on how to “Build a Brand.” Maybe I’ll learn something about myself in the process.
Speaking of learning about myself in the process, I turned on “Rhapsody in Blue” while writing this post and wouldn’t you know it: I’m pretty sure the young girl subplot has me in a different dimension.
I will include some final thoughts because I’m Tomi Lahren, only an unsuccessful, irrelevant version:
I’ve been obsessing over Emily Ratajkowski lately, and she has the NERVE. The AUDACITY. To post this photo on Instagram:
WARNING: NSFW PICTURE UNDER THIS LINE. SHE IS TOPLESS IN THIS PHOTO.
Get a load of that caption. You see that hair? THAT’S MY NATURAL HAIR. EMILY RATAJKOWSKI CALLS MY HAIR HER DREAM HAIR. TAKE ALL OF IT IN EXCHANGE FOR YOUR PERFECTLY FLAT STOMACH, MADAM.
I made shrimp scampi for dinner last night and had the leftovers for dinner– I heated them in a pan and not the microwave and honestly? Groundbreaking.
As far as my sweet tooth goes, my absolute favorite is Hershey Kisses. I think if I had an office, the foyer would feature three huge vertical tubes of Hershey Kisses. But then, who’s going to actually go diving in the tube besides me, for Hershey Kisses? Everyone else would just be so blase but I’d be walking people to the door and get caught with my entire arm down the tube of Hershey Kisses. Otherwise the chocolate goes to waste and I would never.
I love Ed Sheeran so much but kind of don’t like that he’s BFFs with Justin Bieber. Justin is fine and talented but he’s best buds with Chris Brown and like…
There is no gif for Tomi Lahren on Google saying “Those are my final thoughts, from LA, God bless and take care” with her spirit fingers esque wave and it’s disgusting. That needs to exist. Do I have to make that? How is this on me?
As I mentioned at some point earlier, I’ve been doing a “poetry a day” challenge. I’ve been incorporating photo editing to each poem, so it’s a two hour process, and as a result, I haven’t been able to blog as much. I have to be honest, I love writing poetry… but I’ve missed this!
I have a lot of laundry to iron and put away, but I did half of it and now my “ironing” hand hurts. Now is as good as time as ever to come back!
This week I would like to start fresh: drinking water, healthy sleep schedule…I even purchased a WOMEN’S MULTIVITAMIN (this post is sponsored by SugarBear Hair [no it is not I just bought them]). I look at some of the women in my “#goals” list and I notice some similarities. I think it’s time I take stock in it!
Solid morning routine. Warm water with lemon seems to be the go-to for every influencer and Angel. What I want to do is start my mornings with this lemon water, yoga, and meditation.
Varied workout routines. Yoga seems to be a consistent go-to, along with dance or self-defense inspired workouts. Boxing and Barre seem to guarantee limbs that are both long and strong. I’m down, honestly!Side Note: I will note that these are a bunch of skinny women, and I don’t know if workouts for girls with a much lower body fat percentage will work for me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to try them. I’ve always wanted to be super-hero strong, with cutie lil’ arm muscles but thin legs.
Diet preferences. Get shocked — lots of veggies, little dairy, lean proteins. Have a dessert once in a while to avoid feeling crazy. Emily Ratajkowski says that she eats lots of carbs and plenty of dessert. She eats a pastry for breakfast and goes out for dinner regularly.
I DON’T BELIEVE YOU EMILY. I. DON’T. BELIEVE. YOU.
Sweet Dreams — These girls get seven to eight hours of sleep a night. This seems not impossible, and probably a strong habit to develop before I have kids (eventually). I think I want to start striving for seven hours of sleep, and then if I can add the extra hour, I will make it happen. If I wake up at five, I have to go to bed at ten. I think getting in bed by nine is doable.
I’m headed to Disney for a late night event tonight, so I won’t be able to enact this one until tomorrow night. In general, I want to turn my computer off at eight. If two hours isn’t enough time on the computer for me, I have a much bigger problem.
Hydration — OKAY, I GET IT. You all drink water and use coconut oil. that appears to be the magic elements: coconut and water. I’ll start incorporating it more.
Tuning in — There seems to be a pattern of connection. The girls I look up to all seem to do yoga, meditate, or some combination of practices that enable them to listen to their bodies more.
So in summary — clean eating, workouts that combine strength training and cardio, and connection with the body, mind, and soul.
With that, I’m going to do my poem for the day. The theme is “reflection.” How’s that for connection to the soul?
I’ve had another busy week, but I feel like I’m getting a lot done tonight. I decided to “sleep in” today until 6:45, rather than go to the gym. I got to enjoy my morning wake-up with Aaron as a result, and even had time to do a face mask before work. It was a work-from-home Wednesday, which is always a lovely reprieve. I tend to take Wednesday mornings for myself to have a nice leisurely morning. It’s a great way to celebrate “hump day”. Tuesdays tend to wear me out more than other days.
During my lunch “break,” I did all the dishes in my sink and took care of a few other chores. I got to end my work day with a clean kitchen that immediately got messy again when I hurricane’d my way through to make dinner.
In between the end of my work day and making dinner, I decided to make up for the lack of a morning gym trip by going for a run. It was a sunny afternoon but there was good wind blowing. It’s nice to see my neighborhood awake with dogs on their post-workday walk, families bringing home the kids from their schoolday, lawn and cable workers smiling wearily as they return to their cars to go home for the night… we’re all on our routines.
I alternated between walking and running, and it reminded me of when I used to walk to and from class. Those daily walks kept me sane, and I don’t think I ever appreciated them.
After thoroughly appreciating perfectly grilled quesadillas (filled with veggies and meatless crumbles for me… with a side of homemade guac, thank you!) and welcoming Aaron home from work (I may have made him a bowl of edible cookie dough — the trick is to not use eggs!), I cleaned up from dinner and wrote a quick poem about body image for today’s “escapril” (that 30 day poetry challenge for National Poetry Month).
So we have:
Productive work day
Quality Workout
Cleaned living space
Nutrient dense dinner
Poetry of the day completed
Not bad, right? Now all that’s left is to wash my hair and pack for my trip.
Oh yes, I’m going back to New York. It’s a quieter trip this time, as I’m visiting to spend the Jewish holidays with my family (happy almost Passover!).
Here are a few fun travel tips I’ve picked up over the years (from experience and from family members instilling it from day one):
DON’T PACK THE MORNING OF YOUR TRIP. Guess what? You need a new charger. You can’t find that shirt you were going to wear. You forgot to pack socks. Don’t wait until the morning of, especially if/when there’s a risk you’re going to run out of time.
GET TO THE AIRPORT TWO HOURS BEFORE YOUR FLIGHT DEPARTURE TIME. I adjust this as needed, since holiday flights tend to make me a bit more cautious and I’ll add time. As well, certain airports I’ve visited are frequently D-E-A-D, and I can push it to an hour and fifteen minutes before the flight leaves. I’d rather sit in the airport with a book (or treat myself to a magazine) for an extra thirty minutes than risk huffing and puffing from a line to my gate (or worse… missing my flight).
Fun travel anecdote: Once, an entire flight I was on checked in early. The pilot showed up and said “Hey, you guys are all here, you wanna just take off early?” and we left ahead of schedule! It’s only happened once, but when everyone plans ahead, we all win.
TREAT YOUR SKIN RIGHT IN-FLIGHT. I’ve stopped wearing makeup and contact lenses on red-eye flights. Sometimes I wear makeup if I know I’m landing during the day, but if anything, I’ll do my skin routine before I head out and then apply makeup when I know we’ve hit that “last ten minutes before the descent” sweet spot. MOISTURIZE. I personally have started doing sheet masks on airplanes. It is just… blissful. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS.
Your “personal item” should have a zipper. Pick something sturdy that won’t accidentally fall open and spill everything during turbulent bumps mid-flight.
Start the security “strip” process two people before you get to the conveyor belt. Lose the shoes, take off your sweatshirt, grab your laptop/kindle and your “clear bag of liquids and aerosols.” Once your time has come, BOOM, slap your carry-on bag/personal item on the belt, placing your shoes next to them then grab a tray for your needed products and immediately place it on the belt. Your speed will benefit you, both in terms of convenience for the people around you, and also startling them into paying attention because wow, you’re moving really fast, you’ve DONE THIS BEFORE, HAVEN’T YOU? Yes, I have. Thank you for noticing.
Pack warm pajamas. Nine times out of ten, your hotel room will be cold, not hot. I perpetually have cold feet, so I bring fuzzy warm socks no matter where I’m going.
Download Spotify playlists. In this post-iTunes library world, I recommend saving your favorite Spotify playlists to your phone so you don’t have a soundtrack-less flight. I sleep on flights regularly, and I have a few relaxing musical playlists saved to my phone to get me in that nice zen state of mind. If you want to use your three hour jaunt to catch up on podcasts, don’t forget to download those, too! I’m still of the opinion that paying for in-flight wifi is a waste unless you need to complete business work. If I can go seven hours without Instagram, so can you. I PROMISE.
Pack for every quick-fix necessity. Advil. Pepto tablets. PADS. You will hate yourself for not planning ahead if you get nausea or are surrounded by a chorus of screaming children on your flight.
FREQUENT FLYERS – Create a separate makeup kit for your travels. They don’t have to be perfect, expensive palettes like your normal everyday wear. Wet n’ Wild products are bomb and tend to be cheaper, which make them ideal for when you want to have a full face without risking leaving your Fenty in a hotel room. Those samples you get after spending too much at Sephora? BRING THEM. THIS IS THEIR TIME. Don’t forget makeup remover wipes!
BRING CASH. ALWAYS. Tips. Credit card mishaps. Things, life, just happens. Be prepared. That’s what this whole list is about, honestly. Be prepared beforehand so you can enjoy everything else when you land.
With that, it’s 9:23. In bed by 10:30? Let’s give it a try.
This week has been one of mediocre workouts. To be honest, I haven’t had a GREAT workout in a while. I haven’t left the gym feeling sweaty and accomplished in a few weeks, and I’m disappointed about it. I agree that working out regularly is more than can be said for a lot of people, but if I’m waking up at the crack of dawn, missing out on an extra hour or two of sleep, to do something good for my body, shouldn’t it be time well spent?
To me, the only two things you need to have a good workout are motivation and the right soundtrack. I have three playlists that I work with regularly. If you’re reading this and wanting some new “tunage” for your workout, maybe some of these will help!
The “Superhero Playlist”
This is my playlist for when I want to feel super strong. When I want to watch my form in the mirror and see my muscles “jump” with each movement, this is my go-to. I tend to stick to this playlist when I’m strength-training, and it makes me feel like Wonder Woman. Or Thor.
I save this one for when I’m just… D E A D. Some days I feel foggy but still alert, it’s the same sensation that, if I decide to let it put me back to bed after turning off my alarm, I end up playing on my phone until 6:30 instead of sleeping. When I recognize that mental/physical state, this playlist gets me up and at ’em at the gym. It’s all feel-good, can’t help but smile songs.
This music always gets me ready to bounce my way through a workout. I regularly dance from one set of weights to the next using this playlist! I kNoW, I’m such a DORK.
“Chapter Ten: The Lost Weekend”. Riverdale, The CW. 17 April 2017.
The “CW Theory” Playlist
I’ll talk about this with anyone who will listen: EVERYONE ON THE CW IS ATTRACTIVE. Think about it: Stephen Amell, Nina Dobrev, Jared Padalecki, Madelaine Petsch, all GORGEOUS people. “Gossip Girl” aired on the CW and EVERYONE on that show was beautiful.
Katie Cassidy has been on four shows on The CW so like case in point.
Moral of the story is, find a fanvid on Instagram of someone on a CW show, and chances are that song will motivate you through your workout: be hot enough to be on the CW. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
I’ve barely listened to these playlists for the past month. I bet that has SOMETHING to do with it. I will return to this roundup with this week’s workouts.
This morning I woke up with an impulse to write, but I ignored it in favor of going to the gym. It was my first Sunday workout in a while! I have returned since, eaten an early lunch (brunch?) and would like to share my thought from this morning:
I had a dream last night that I was in an airport (my brain has created it’s own world so it’s an airport that I’ve been in in my brain multiple times… there’s a lot of stairs and an indoor/outdoor quick service food court), and I had missed my flight by THAT much. It looked like they had JUST closed the gate, though. I think my flight took off at 6:25, and at 6:25 they had just shut the door to that tunnel that links the airport to the plane. What do they call that thing? Anyway, I knew that I could just call my mom and she could help, but I felt so anxious to call my mom because I knew she would be so disappointed that I missed my flight, especially because I think I had missed my flight to eat a snack or something.
I just remembered that my flight was to New York. In conclusion: my brain is clearly sending off nervous signals that I’m falling behind, particularly on my dream to move to New York, and that I know it’s okay and it will all be fine eventually, but I’m most stressed that my mistakes will have my mom thinking I’m a failure.
So, there’s that.
“Missing Identity.” Spongebob Squarepants. Nickelodeon. 19 January 2004.
I made it a mission today to catch up on my Youtube motivation maven, Amy Landino. She’s written a book on vlogging, maintains a growing Youtube channel, and gives lectures on productivity, creating a brand online, and how to go after the life you want. She does two videos a week and a podcast, and I like to not watch immediately so I can binge and take notes. I don’t like listening to her at work because I value what she has to say! I’m revisiting one or two videos I already watched because I was folding laundry at the time, and I figured I’d take my notes here.
EPISODE 1 — Improve your life right now | 3 Simple Ways
Listen to Positive Podcasts. Amy recommends listening when you are doing “mindless” activities, like cutting vegetables, walking the treadmill, things that don’t require all your focus. She recommends a few, but here are the podcasts that I want to listen to (and the ones I currently listen to now): The Skinny Confidential, Detail Therapy, Your Own Magic, and the Goop podcast. Amy recommends finding a podcast that is about a language you want to learn to passively integrate that language into your life. Coincidentally, a friend was asking what goals I had by the time I turned 30, and one of them was to learn Hebrew, French, or Italian (maybe all three? Ambitious, but if I master one I can move to another, right?). I’m going to find a podcast on one of those languages and start there!
Start investing money into your future. Roll over spare change using Acorn, an app that creates an investment account for you. I’m betting seven dollars she’s sponsored by Acorn. Okay she said she wasn’t but she has a link in the description, so YOU TELL ME. At any rate I am very poor and have a lot of student debt, so I’m going to take a look. At the very least my spare change from grocery shopping and pushing my luck at Sephora will start to benefit me.
Mulaney, John. The Comeback Kid. Netflix, 2015
Realize how much outer order is inner calm. Organize your space. Declutter one area of your home. She recommends finding that space in your house where you know something is in there but there’s so much junk that you can’t find it immediately. This is a targeted threat to my makeup drawer and I won’t stand for it. But I will clean it out now after I finish my Amy Landino catch-up, because I do want to go to Sephora and update my inventory with products I want to incorporate into my routine (I’m going on (con)tour in 2019).
Voila! One video done. I’m going to go put my dishes by the sink and take out the trash, then move on to the next video. Please hold.
Hello, I have returned. Dishes are by the sink, trash has been replaced, but I have a complaint: Aaron INSISTS on using these white trash bags that are super tiny and don’t stay attached to the lip of the bin. Meanwhile, when I use the big black trash bags, he has a conniption even though they’re CLEARLY better than the white ones he uses.
I also took a quick shower because I’m noticing the longer I stay in my workout bra, the more likely I am to have breakouts on my shoulders and my back. One pair of “genie pants” and a Mitchell Robbins tee shirt later, I am back with Amy, who is doing a 30+ minute Q + A. With that time-length, I’m going to accomplish things in between videos. All day blog? All day blog.
“Camping.” Parks and Recreation. NBC. 24 March 2011.
EPISODE 2 — How I Deal with Failure | Q + A
In this vlog, Amy’s wearing a pullover grey shirt that’s merch from another Youtuber, and it just says “tired girl club.” Honestly, a mood. Might have to find that shirt later.
Where can you find a good mentor? Amy: I could be your mentor! Me: You already are, love you! She recommends finding multiple mentors for different aspects of your life. Different people can provide different energies!
She’s not wrong. I like looking to her for productivity guidance, but I follow several spiritual influencers for finding my inner mental peace (great poetry and great guided meditations, yo!). I look to Whitney Simmons for fitness advice, and I look to my cousin Stephanie for career and finance advice. For brutal honesty, I tend to go to fictional characters, like Jack Donaghy or Sue Sylvester. Caricatures they may be, but they don’t tolerate failure and tend to be my inner call-out to not be lazy and work harder. Speaking of fictional characters, Blair Waldorf, Brooke Davis, and Rachel Gatina guide my inner confidence queen.
For everything else, there’s Mom 🙂
I’m not going to write every question out, because she’s answering personal questions about herself, but if she tosses out a tip or two, I’ll share here.
Productivity Tools You Recommend? She uses Trello for communicating with her assistant (I’m guessing it’s like Google Docs meets Slack. I’m irrelevant and have no assistant, so doesn’t really apply to me). She adores her bullet journal, too! I’ve tried Bullet Journaling and I’m terrible at it. I should look to it again because I got two BuJos for the holidays. Make it happen March 1? Maybe.
When you feel like you’re “stuck in molasses,” what do you do to get out? This is in reference to her “Detail Therapy” podcast, in which actress Leah Pipes related her feelings of anxiety and depression to being stuck in molasses. Amy says she doesn’t think she’s ever felt true anxiety or depression, but when she’s had her bouts of insecurities, she does things that feel normal, things that are productive, to put her back in the right mindset. She thinks that she is so busy that she doesn’t have the time to ruminate on her feelings or get stuck in a negative space. That’s where I’M trying to be, honestly. And again… positive podcasts!
Okay, she’s talking about her routine, and I just have to envy: her schedule inhibits her to wake up early, do a skin routine, write for three pages, meditate, go to the gym, then start her work day. Can’t relate, for now. My 8-5 means that my morning time is limited.
How do you overcome feelings of failure? She hates her answer, but it’s “Don’t dwell.” Forget your ego (the twinge of embarrassment) and move forward with your day!
I have about seven minutes left in this Q & A. I’m going to put my clothes in the laundry and grab my laptop charger before I turn on the next video. Aaron got me flowers for Valentine’s Day, and they were so pretty… and now they are dead. I’ll throw them on the lawn before the next video too. Return them to the earth from whence they came.
What music do you listen to when you need to focus? Brain Food focus playlist on Spotify!
Q&A over, and I have tossed my flowers and plugged in my phone. Aaron still had clothes in the washer so I am going to wait until next video to add my laundry to the wash.
EPISODE 3 — How I Plan with Bullet Journal
I’m not going to watch this one. I’m calling it a “Call to Action,” or a Sign from the Universe, to start bullet journaling. I will watch this later this week as a template to start a bullet journal next month. This will take a good chunk of time, so I’m going to dedicate another night this week to do that.
Laundry? In washing machine. Water? In a highball glass on the coffee table in front of me. Wasp? Dead in the corner after sneaking in with the flower disposal Hotel? Trivago.
EPISODE 4 — Calendar Blocking My Productive Weekend
This episode is more like a vlog, so there’s less tips, likely. In the meantime, I’m going to grab the perfectly giraffe status bananas to chop up and freeze for smoothies this week.
Here’s my work station for the “aesthetic”:
I have Star Wars Ziploc bags because I’m a winner.
Amy’s hair and nails always look beautiful. I’m so torn about how to make that a possibility for me. I put straightening my hair on my to-do list for today, but I just wish I could keratin my hair to save time. It’s a lot of money, but it’d save me so much time and energy!
New item on the agenda: Find keratin discount near me.
Honestly, not a moment too soon on these banoot-noots. Any smoothie-maker worth their salt knows that there’s a point where the bananas are between being ripe and overripe where they’re almost… not furry, but a bit more soft than they should be. Another day and they would have needed to be a base for a breakfast brownie (and considering I killed off my cocoa powder last night, that would not have been ideal).
Her video has ended before finishing my bananas, so I’m going to finish my bananas with the next video, then pause to turn on the stove to make some hard-boiled eggs for the week. Food prep! Yay!
EPISODE 5 — Get More Done with Time Batching
Think about laundry — you do it in loads, not one dirty sock at a time. Time batching is like laundry, only with tasks you do on a regular basis. You put the things that are similar to each other and do them all in one swoop. For example, if you’re a writer, taking an afternoon to do three writing assignments to get ahead. It’s a time for “deep focus.”
Time Batching could work for me, but I feel like my time needs to be optimized for pockets during the day every day vs. a big square of time once a week or a month. I want to meditate daily, do evening yoga, read more. I guess the latter could be done during a time batch. I read an entire book over the morning of last Monday, right?
Amy’s List of Ideas for What to Batch:
Creative Time (writing, reading a book, making videos)
Administrative tasks (calendar blocking, emails)
Social Media (talking to friends, replying to DMs)
Step 1: Make a list of the things you need to do on a regular basis 1. I work 8-5. 2. I work out about an hour and a half. 3. I clean my house. 4. I spend time with Aaron. 5. I spend time with friends. 6. I plan my wedding/surrounding wedding events. 7. I self care. 8. I read. 9. I relax. 10. I write. 11. I make time for family. 12. I take time for a new skill. 13. I check in with myself mentally to stay balanced.
Step 2: Match Common Tasks to Each Other. Similar tasks: Me time: Self care, reading, relaxing, writing. Relationships: Spend time with Aaron, spend time with friends, spend time with family. Necessity practices: Working out, going to work. Mindful practices: Checking in, learning a new skill, planning my wedding. Mindless practices: Cleaning.
Okay, this isn’t groundbreaking, but why am I not doing a face mask while reading or writing. Also, planning my wedding could be a nice bonding session with Aaron, as we work on the registry, plan the honeymoon, listen to music… find out what the heckin’ bob we’re doing with plus ones for the wedding party. That’s a big flag on the play right now.
Did I use that football analogy correctly? We don’t know.
Step 3: Block out your time. She has an example of time batching for her week that she is sharing. She divides her days as her time batching, content creation vs. production vs. voice work, as well as whether or not she’s going to be expected to be presentable vs. working in her sweatpants (color coding: red means “look fire.” Love that).
Step 4: COMMIT AND DO IT. And I will, Amy! At another time, because it’s 2PM and my laundry is done in the wash. She’s right, this is the hardest part.
I have separated my laundry, and the eggs are quietly simmering. After this video, I will put them on ice and empty the dishwasher.
EPISODE 6 — Working from Home: What I Wish I Knew
I, thankfully, get to work from home one day a week. That extra hour in the morning (the time I spend doing my makeup, putting together an outfit, and driving to work) is pure joy.
There weren’t a whole lot of tips this time around, probably because I follow the same routine that she does: avoid distractions and still stick to a routine before you start your work.
I found several offers of keratin treatments near me! I’m going to research them in a bit, but first– eggs and dishes.
PLOT TWIST – Dishwasher was only half full, so I filled it up with dirty dishes. Eggs are cooling, dishwasher is running.
EPISODE 7 — The Word I’m Quitting to Better My Relationships
What’s that word? Bum bum BUM: Keeping Busy.
That’s a phrase, not a word. In this context, she means that she doesn’t discuss what she does, and instead just creates an atmosphere of “I’m too busy to care about you, my boyfriend, my clients.” Let’s eliminate the concept of “busy.” Really have a conversation of what you’re up to lately, open up to a person, talk about yourself and then hear what they have to say.
After this video, I’m going to check my laundry. If it’s done, I’m going to grab and fold it during the next video. If it’s not, I’m going to finally finally FINALLY clean my car. It’s been a long time coming, months in the making, horrifying I know, but I’m finally doing it, okay? Get AT me.
One, technically two bags of trash later, my car is halfway clean. There’s still a lot of Tupperware and two pairs of shoes in there, but I wanted to get all the candy wrappers out of there (there was an embarrassing amount of food wrapping and receipts). I put the chilled eggs in the fridge, but my laundry still needs another half hour, forty five minutes ish in the dryer.
EPISODE 8 — My Greatest Career Accomplishment
Amy is reflecting on the 2 year anniversary of her first book “Vlog Like a Boss.” I can breathe.
It’s 3:45. I’ve been at this for about… five hours! Wow. I found a keratin treatment on Groupon and on my next break I’m going to grab a snack and my credit card to purchase it.
EPISODE 9 — The Real Distractions Killing Your Productivity
Oh look at that, it’s a neat new intro!
INSTA-ENVY. That feeling when you scroll through Instagram and envying other people. You CAN simmer in the negative energy, or you can ask yourself while you follow them, and how that’s working out for you. Are people really motivating you, or is it just making you feel bad for not living that same life? Unfollowing someone doesn’t make you a bad person. If it’s not providing you positive energy, it’s okay to remove them from your scroll!
OVERDOSING ON ADVICE. You learn from not only just taking advice, but from taking action. Yes, seek advice and get information, but put that knowledge into action. Do something with that feedback, that intake, don’t just absorb it.
LACK OF HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. It’s a massive trip-up if you have a chaotic life. Rest, drink water, stay clean in your body and your surroundings.
EPISODE 10 — 30 Days of Meditation | My Surprising Discoveries
Amy meditated for 30 days straight. Let’s take a listen! This was posted two weeks ago, so survey says I have maybe three more videos to go after this one. Not going to get up in between this one, but after this video I’m going to take care of the pots and pans in the sink!
-Schedule it in -Minimum 10 Minutes -Headspace App -Meditation Pillow
Benefits she saw:
Building the habit. It felt good to complete this practice 30 days in a row.
Improvement of visualization. The more time she spent, the more attuned to herself she felt.
Genuine anticipation. She began looking forward to those ten minutes to just be, with no distractions!
Finding more mindful moments. Even if it’s just thirty seconds, she found more pockets during her day to be mindful and connect with herself.
More Time Desired. For her own mental clarity, she stuck with 15, but felt like she could have had more.
Less critical of wandering thoughts. At first, she got mad every time her brain went into thought as opposed to focusing on the practice. That stopped happening after a while, as she got more into her mind and relaxing. It became easier to dismiss her thoughts as time went on during the 30 days.
She feels happier! The consistency helps, and more time could be better, but giving herself that space to clear her mind in the morning just made her feel happier. The things that annoy her and stress her out rolled off her back faster.
Bottom line: Ten minutes a day is doable. I am going to follow in her footsteps and take that challenge!
Update: Five videos left! After this one I’m going to check my laundry and get more water.
EPISODE 11 — ADULTING 101 | 4 Things I Cannot Live Without
These are purchases that have made her life a bit easier!
AAA Membership. Don’t get stuck with a broken down car!
Garment Steamer. I have a mini version of this. I want to put this on the registry!
Tea Kettle. Put it on the stove, and it looks like it’s supposed to be there! I don’t really drink tea, but I do have a nice colorful teapot from my mom and an electric water heater. Close enough!
Bathroom Mirror Clock. Running late because you spend too much time getting ready in the bathroom? Same.
The first load of laundry is done! I put in the more delicate items on low after I took the completed load out, then refilled my glass of water. I think that this I’m only going to watch two more episodes. I feel sleepy, and I want to prepare for my day. That said, I’ve learned a thing or two from today! I added a garment steamer and a makeup mirror to my wedding registry, and I know that after I have dinner tonight, I will listen to a podcast while I clean my bedroom/bathroom/kitchen/makeup drawer/ straighten my hair. Progress!
EPISODE 12 — More Beauty Rest | My Nighttime Tips
Set a bedtime alarm. Go to bed about the same time every night, even if you’re not tired. Whether it’s a time to start your evening routine or when you’re supposed to be asleep, it sets you up to shut down for the day so you have a more restful start to your sleep. I can commit to an 8PM shutdown: jammies on, makeup off, skincare on, clothes ready. Boom boom boom.
Skincare Routine. It’s the ritual that makes you presentable.
Drink something relaxing. Tea is her go-to, but she recommends finding the one that works for you.
Diffuse lavender oil. It’s a relaxing scent, and it inspires contentment. She says it doesn’t need to be lavender, but that is what works for her!
Read a book. She easily falls asleep reading, and unless you find every book riveting, grab a non-bright screened book and get ready to drift off to dreamland.
Listen to calming sounds. White noise, babbling brooks, whatever is right for you, the right sound can help you fall asleep.
Gratitude/Reflection Journaling. What are you grateful for today? What did you do today that you are happy you did? Become at peace with your time today.
Meditation. If your mind keeps moving, clear your mind!
Dark sleep with an eye mask. Open and shut your eyes to absolute darkness. Tell your body it’s time to sleep!
Aaron just came home with groceries. I helped unload, and now it’s time for the last video! After this one I might turn on a podcast or Netflix while I fold my laundry. I also might nap. I’m sleepy!
EPISODE 13 — Want to Succeed? Stop Doing This.
The biggest mistake people make that keeps their dreams dreams and not a reality: Overdosing on a device advice. I watched this video up to 9 minutes being so confused thinking she was talking about using cell phones too much.
With everything that is out there in the internet world, it’s easy to look for the answer and not work to find it. That said, if you do nothing but learn and absorb, you will only be the messenger for someone else’s ideas!
Don’t take a billion classes or go back to school because you think you have to in order to move forward in your life. You could learn more about your life on your own than someone with tenure can tell you what it might be.
Don’t wait for a mentor to inspire you. Inspire yourself, then look for guidance from someone. Get your step one done, and THEN when you’re ready for step two, but not sure where to go, find that mentor!
Do research, then make a decision based on that and your own intuition. Don’t ask everyone and their mother for what they think. Go with your gut, and ask the ones you love about certain adjustments. Ask better questions to a better audience.
DON’T BLAME OVERSATURATION. It doesn’t exist. If music finds new people to appreciate every year. You get what you put into it. Don’t blame other people in the market for doing it first, they are paving the way for you!
With that, the house smells like barbecue as Aaron is grilling up some chicken. I’m very excited for dinner. And a nap.
I think nearly six hours of blogging is enough for one day, right?
I finished “You” and all I can say is WOW. I don’t know how I’m going to live between now and season 2. I cracked and looked at the reviews and the consensus is positive, which warms me up to know. At the same time, people (including the actor who plays him) are shocked that a lot of the audience has a crush on the protagonist but IN HIS DEFENSE OKAY HE’S SUPER CUTE AND JUST TRYING TO HELP SO WHAT IF HE DOES SO IN A SOCIOPATHIC MANNER LIKE IT’S FINE.
At any rate, my evening routines have been thusly sabotaged after watching it all night Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Although I will say that Thursday I got everything I needed to get done while watching the show, I just went to bed later than I should have. I also haven’t finished my book yet! Not even close. I’m flying to visit friends this weekend, so I’m hoping I can finish the book by then and start another one on the flight.
I feel better when I’m productive, and very mediocre when I’m not. I recognize that I haven’t written regularly, used one of my two cute new planners, nor finished the book I was supposed to read last week. It stinks! I need to work at my consistency. This morning I woke up and rather than getting up and starting my day with stretching or meditating, I played on my phone, and then I left a bit later and forgot my FitBit. I did a great shoulder workout but no HIIT as a result. It’s a silly excuse, but I tried doing HIIT without my ‘Bit on Saturday and it wasn’t easy. It was a decent HIIT workout though, because I left the gym wheezing into the cool January air. I need to have my watch ON me and READY by the time I leave for the gym. Headphones need to be CHARGED and PAIRED. The biggest sense of progress I’ve felt for my mental well-being has been putting on thick socks and a sweatshirt before I go to sleep. That way, I’m less likely to wake up feeling cold and in desperate need to snuggle instead of get up for my workout!
I feel bad for not doing HIIT today, so I’m debating taking care of that this afternoon during my work break. At the same time, I should take that time to open my planner and get organized! We shall SEE what happens. For now, it’s 6:30 AM, so I should go take my shower and get ready for my morning. Let’s get this bread (or, if you’re an intellectual, let’s catch this rye)!
I was going to write yesterday, but yesterday was not a great day. Do you ever just start a day and know it’s going to be terrible? I woke up feeling so lagged. My workout was mediocre, and I just crawled back into bed when I got home. I didn’t eat breakfast, and had a headache all day. My day only got better when I got home from work!
That said, when I got home, I started on my second book of the year! That’s right, I finished “Becoming,” Michelle Obama’s memoir. It was a compelling and thoughtful look at her life, both as Michelle Robinson, the Ivy League lawyer turned community outreach coordinator, and as FLOTUS Michelle Obama. She innovated programs to improve nutrition in America’s youth, improved conditions for US Veterans, and helped young women in other countries get access to quality education. Now that’s my kind of woman!
But onto book two-sday. Get it? I’m sorry.
It’s called “No Excuses! The Power of Self-Discipline,” by Brian Tracy. It’s been an eye-opening read so far, AND it comes with little philosophy/reflection exercises. Or at least, this chapter does! I thought I might list them here, as sort of a way to track my way through the book:
1. If your work life and career were ideal, what would they look like? What one discipline could you develop that would help you to achieve it? My ideal career would give me a grandiose office with the opportunity to work from home. I would get to travel to other countries for work, and I would make the big decisions every day. From the sounds of it, I want to be large and in charge! To achieve this, I need to keep climbing the ladder and defying expectations. I want to stand out within my company and grow with it. I have ideas on how I can develop, both personally and within the capacity of the company. It’s on me to propose them, with a plan, and then my supervisors will know that I take initiative and work hard to help others!
2. If your family life were ideal, what would it look like, and what one discipline would help you the most to make it a reality? To be honest, I think my family life is ideal right now! That said, I want my family to grow in a future that feels distant, but really isn’t in the grand scheme of things! I want to be a career mom, and provide a strong, intelligent, hardworking mom to two kids. Ideally, my kids will inherit the ambition that I see in myself and my future husband (the alleged father of my future children), which will translate into good grades and passion projects, whether it’s a sport or a creative passion, though they will hopefully enjoy both, my well-rounded little wonders. Above all though, future lacrosse champions or first chair violinists, all I want for them is to be kind, and happy. I think they will repeat what they see. So it’s on me (and Aaron) to create an atmosphere of love and compassion (and yes, hard work). On a grander scale, I’ll need to participate in our society to create the same atmosphere in the world at large. Our kids will experience the world outside our home more than anything else, and they deserve a world filled with kindness and sunshine. So, in general, a target would be showing kindness: to both myself and others.
3. If your health were perfect in every way, what disciplines would you have that make it possible? Wow, what a doozy. Time for brutal honesty: I’m great at working out regularly. There, I said it! Granted, I have my bad workout days (see the first paragraph of this entry!), but I’ve grown consistent in making regular appearances. The gym employees know me, and I know the AM regulars (a bit of reverie: there’s a girl with red hair who intimidates the heck out of me at the gym I go to now, because she is so strong! I haven’t seen her since the new year started… I hope she’s okay! Maybe her work schedule changed so she works out in the evenings). And yet, my relationship with food is just… I’d call it a downer, if it didn’t make my weight go up so much! If my health were perfect in every way, I’d be drinking more water, eating more salad, and eating way less chocolate. And cheese. Yikes. I’d be way more disciplined in my eating. I’ve gotten better about water since 2019. I’m going to keep working on that, but I definitely need to develop discipline with my food choices. That’s actually why I got this book in the first place!
4. If your financial situation were ideal today, what one discipline would you have that would help you the most? Okay, I got this: saving. I’m in a tough spot, with a massive student debt and a car payment. I try to not spend like crazy, but I’m not saving like I should. I’m going to change that, right now. Just sent my savings account some money. Now I have it set up in my account, so I’ll send some money every now and then when I think of it. And I’ll be sure to think of it more.
5. Why aren’t you already as successful as you would like to be, and what one discipline would help you the most to achieve all your goals? Wow, rude, guy. I’m 24, okay? Most of the kids my age have student debt and ambitious career visions they haven’t accomplished yet. Or they’re internet personalities who could buy me using their AdSense money. I’m taking it all in stride, because I know that great things take time (would you rather have a five-year scotch or a fifteen-year? I’m just sayin’). That said, I’m certainly not loitering! I do feel lazy and unmotivated sometimes, and I think that hinders me. I want to learn more coding languages just to be more of an asset at work, and I want to be as fit as some of the people in my circle (fitness seems to be growing lately amongst my peers… thanks, FLOTUS). Staying the course and reminding myself why I’m doing this would be a great step. Does that count as a discipline?
6. What one skill could you develop that would help you to realize more of your goals? I gotta be honest, writing it out like this helps! I’m not great at journaling, as I tend to just write when inspiration strikes. I know that almost every successful person will tell me to write EVERY day. I think taking up that practice would go a long way in helping me get to where I want to be with my goals.
7. If you could wave a magic wand and be completely disciplined in one area, which one discipline would have the greatest positive impact on your life? I know how vapid this sounds, but I think the one described in step 3 would make the biggest impact. I’ve lost weight dramatically before, and people who knew me before the weight loss said that afterwards I was way more confident and self-assured. I was less manic, and more me. I feel like I hid a lot and acted different when I was heavier, but when I lost the weight I just felt better about me. I guess that translated into a stronger (maybe less obnoxious? Weird? I don’t know people) personality. I think the mental strength that would come in getting the discipline that inhibits me from being my best self health-wise would manifest itself in my work, in my family life, and everything in between.
Okay, Brian Tracy, if you were trying to get me to figure out that this discipline was the one I needed to work on the most in order to get started, mission accomplished! I’ll do it.
My workout today was fire. My eating was not (I mentioned cheese and chocolate for a reason). Tomorrow, that changes. Game on, Brian!
I’m going to go shower, paint my nails, then read. I feel ready to conquer the world… then go to bed at 10 PM. Like a boss.
