Intentional October Update: Week 1.

It's time for an update and a check-in with you! How's your Intentional October going, friends? I'm going to be honest with you - mine has been hard. Harder than I thought it would be! I was so jazzed about this - but actually putting it into practice everyday has been really really challenging. I don't want to wake up early. And I really miss zoning out and watching TV at night. Discipline is hard!

I'll give you a rough overview of where I'm at:

My Tactics:
1. Wake up early.
5:30 AM to be exact. - Um, this has been challenging. Really really really.

2. Drink a Nalgene of water.
Right when I wake up, before consuming anything else. - This has been great. I actually crave my enormous Nalgene of lemon water when I wake up. It's hard to drink the whole thing so early, but I'm really trying to force myself to get it done within the first hour of the day. I feel so much better all morning long.

3. Have 10-20ish minutes of quiet time.
Reading, praying, journaling. - This has, surprisingly, been my favorite! I have paired it with some early morning stretches, and I am loving this time. I'm no yogi, but I feel exhilarated, stretching in the quiet morning hour. Making this action a part of my morning prayers seriously makes me feel like I am moving mountains here!

4. Exercise in the morning.
For the most part, getting myself outside to run has just been awful - I am wheezing and crampy and I feel like my lungs are going to explode. I guess that's what they call being out of shape, huh? But yesterday I finally had a break through run with my sis-in-law Lauren and I actually enjoyed the run. So, progress! But I've been at the gym a few times this week, too, and I am feeling good about getting back into some light weight lifting.

5. Eat a healthy breakfast.
This has been good. I'm still trying to figure out the best time to eat in conjunction with feeding my kid and exercising in the morning, but I am really enjoying a half a banana, sliced, on a buttered waffle in the mornings. Have you tried Kerrygold butter? I am obsessed. People are way too down on butter - this butter is so gooooood.

6. Tackle the biggest item on my to-do list.
This has been great. I feel so much more productive and accomplished by midday! My mornings are pretty full, especially with a baby in tow, but when lunch time rolls around I feel like I have tackled a TON. But I also feel like I need a nap, haha. I get jealous when I put Everett down for his nap and I have half a mind to just jump in the crib with him. Babies are so lucky.

7. Read in the evenings.
I am officially sucking at this one. I want to read, I SO DO, but I am not getting in bed early enough to read before I want the lights to go out. I read a few times this week, but a few times I also dropped into bed so exhausted, and later than planned. Which nixed the reading. I'm currently reading The Happiness Project, which is giving me some good tips for this intentional journey I am on.

8. Go to bed early.
Lights out at 9:30pm. - This has been really hard to do. Why is it so hard? Why are there so many bedtime activities that MUST BE DONE? I find myself at 9:15 folding laundry, picking up Everett's shoes that he has thrown in the bathtub, and decluttering my bedroom. 9:30 just comes around SO EARLY.

The consensus? I've still got my work cut out for me. I am not as disciplined as I would like. I mentioned here that the focus this past week would be on ourselves, and then we would expand from there. However, I am going to take another week to really hone in on the discipline aspect for myself. It's another self-focused week, to tweak the things that haven't gone right, and create a rhythm for these activities to thrive in my life.

How are you doing with your intentions? Have you hit any roadblocks this week? What activities are working for you? Any advice for the class?

The 15 MUSTS on My Fall Bucket List.

Happy Monday to you, friends! I hope your weekend was sweet and cool with that fall breeze we've been having over here. I wanted to share my little fall bucket list today and see if you had any great ideas to add to this. Have you made a bucket list of autumn things you would like to do this season? I am extra excited about this season because I am so satisfied with the stage our family is in. I am really really loving the age Everett is because I feel like we can really do some fun things with him this fall and he is experiencing them fully. He might not remember these things, but the joy, excitement, adventure and love are surely making a life-long impact on him. I am so lucky to be a part of creating that for him.

The 15 MUSTS on My Fall Bucket List:
1. Pick a Pumpkin.
I seriously can't wait to see Everett toddling around a pumpkin patch. I MEAN. He needs a flannel vest. And maybe some boots. Ahhh PUMPKINS.

2. Enjoy some seriously colorful foliage.
Man, these are the times when I miss my New England days. The foliage up there is so painted and pretty it's just silly. SILLY.

3. Apple Pick.
I always want to bring home two bushels, and every time Stevie says no. Then buys me a cider donut to cheer me up. It's our routine.

4. Visit the Mountains.
Any mountains will do. It just feels like the right time to GO. And take to the mountains. Like Frodo did.

5. Enjoy Mulled Wine.
Oh gosh, this stuff is my Achilles heel. Made some this weekend! Checkedy check!

6. Make something with pumpkin and apples.
I usually make both of these pies around Thanksgiving time, but I'd like to get more out of the box with my recipes this fall and makes something different!

7. Read a good book.
As part of my Intentional October, I am reading a few right now. I feel so alive!

8. Sit by the fire.
We have a fire place in our new home! While it's not wood-burning (which is my favorite), I guess I will enjoy the cleanliness of this gas fireplace. Although I can feel that Stevie will be monitoring my use of it due to the expense... He's not always Scrooge. But sometimes. And sometimes I am an excessive fire starter. What's wrong with every day? Why NOT every day???

9. Decorate outdoors with some good mums.
Now this was just a lead into another one that I've already done and feel so right about. I love mums so much. Don't you just feel like you're talking about a British mother AND Fall's most famous flower?! Two for one, those mums.

10. Drink a Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Okay, so I also did this one this weekend, and I don't know WHAT I WAS THINKING by telling my mother as I drove the the Starbucks drive-through, because then she just gave me a talking-to about how bad those are for our health. I mean, mom! It's my first and last one of the season, I promise. Just let me have my chemically-induced pumpkin spice latte and let me TRY to enjoy it! Also - I think they've raised the price by like, a dollar since last fall. Am I right?

11. Unearth my Fall Clothes.
The closet space in my new pad isn't great, but in some ways, I think that's a really good thing! It's making me really careful about what I add to my closet and I'm finding new uses for old things. However, my fall boots are my favorite thing about my entire wardrobe. And they are out to play!

12. Make stew. Any will do.
I've got so many stew recipes. I will share a few of my favorites next week!

13. Make a wreath.
I've never done a craft like this before. I'm thinking that it's time :)

14. Go Camping.
Just planned a camping trip! I'm not the most rugged girl on Earth, but I can enjoy one night under the stars every once in a while and not moan about it. Just give me smores.

15. Run in the crispy morning air.
We've gotten a hint of fall here in Georgia, but in a few more weeks, I know that morning air is going to get crispy. And I am waking up early these days, so I will seize it! My favorite running is in the fall.

That's my list! What's yours? Anything you would add?

Also, I wanted to encourage everyone that has joined me for Intentional October - you are doing awesome! The feedback has been stellar, so just know that you are in this with a lot of others who are going after some intentional change in their lives this month! If you're new to Intentional October, check out my post on what it is, how you can make this month intentional for yourself, and hone in on your focus. I'll check in with everyone here on the blog on Thursday to give an update on how it's going! Remember to tag your Instagram photos with the hashtag #intentionaloctober so you can encourage others, have a conversation and experience the accountability of this pursuit. You can follow my Instagram feed here.

Happiest of Mondays to you, friends!

Today Begins the Intentional October Journey!

Oh, it's here. They day I have been looking forward to for weeks. October 1! I am thrilled to experience some personal changes in my life, and perhaps I am hyping up this month a bit too much, but I just feel like the time is NOW. I am expectant. And motivated. For some excellent change. And the only way to do it is to JUST DO IT. Thank you Nike. That ad campaign has been jogging around in my brain for about 15 years now.

In case you missed my previous posts about Intentional October, you can take a peek at what it means for me, and how I am attempting change this month.

Now I think it's time for another pumpkin photo. Yeah.

First things first! Along with the tactics I am adopting to help me reach my goal for this month (which you can check out here), I am also going to make a concerted effort to focus on something each week. For this first week of October, I am focusing on me. Myself. I. You know when you're on an airplane, and the safety video comes on and recommends that in case of emergency, you have to put on your own safety mask before assisting others... and that always feels sort of tool-ish? Like, how crummy to not help your neighbor before helping yourself?! But it's true - you can't help others if you're hyperventilating. I'm adopting that approach. I'm not talking about self-absorption, but I do want to be mindful. If I don't take good care of myself, I don't set a good example for others around me to treat me with the same level of respect. And I should be taking great care of myself. My heart, my body, my mind. So this week, I am being mindful of myself. I am going to take gooooood care of me. I am going to dream. I am going to not dream. I am going to take a bath. I am going to be good to myself, whatever that looks like on a day to day basis. While obviously taking care of my family and doing all the normal things I always do. Plus all the changes. Hahhaha is anyone else laughing, thinking I am a crazy lady and biting off more than I can chew?? Whatever. I am going for it. Hear me roar.

You can roar, too. This week, focus on YOU. After we create a foundation of getting into the groove of our new changes, and we have taking a concerted effort to be good to ourselves, then we can really expand our capacity for more.

How are you feeling about Intentional October? Excited, overwhelmed, ready, not ready? If you were going to do one really nice thing for yourself this week, what would it be? Comment below, friends!

My 8 Tactics (and #1 Goal!) for an Intentional October.

They say it takes 30 days to make a true habit change. I'm on a quest this month to make quite a few. Yesterday I gave a little overview about this Intentional October journey. This past summer was wonderful and wild and in some ways kind of like a wrecking ball. My family had a lot of excitement and travels and life changes and with all that adventure came quite a disruption to "normal" and routine. They say that babies thrive on routine, but I believe that we adults (or pretend adult, in my case) do, too. Not only am I feeling unfulfilled and frustrated, but I am craving some semblance of routine and normal, especially because I want to accomplish a few things. But first things first! I must get intentional and disciplined with each day.

The Goal:
To be healthy and overwhelmingly happy. Productive and fulfilled. Full of energy and strong. Every single day.

The Tactics to get to The Goal:
I am focusing on creating healthier habits and routines, and banishing some things that aren't currently working out too well for me personally.

I made a list of all the things I would like to do, and it seems like my mornings and evenings are getting crushed by non-essentials, which is eating into my ability to accomplish goals. I felt convicted when I read this article about highly productive people, because I want to be one! But in order to be productive, I've got to jump start some things and realize that other things are distancing me from my goals. What is holding me back?  

Things Holding Me Back:
1. Binge watching Netflix in the evenings. (Don't hate me for bashing on Netflix - it's probably an idol in my life so it has GOT TO GO. At least for a little while.)

2. Going to bed so late that I'm exhausted all the next day. (Thanks, Netflix.)

3. Forgetting to drink water so I feel sluggish and crummy.

4. Not reading.

5. Exercising infrequently.

6. Getting overwhelmed with my to-do list.

These aren't huge deal breakers individually, but when I add up all the things that aren't excellent, I can see that my margins for happiness are getting nibbled up. There is nothing wrong with watching shows on Netflix! Stevie and I love diving into a series together. But I want to be reading, and my only chance to do that is at night after my baby is in his crib. So, it's either Netflix or a book. And dear God, I need a book. I think I'm losing I.Q. points.

So, now what? I created a list of tactics that I am going to focus on every day for 30 days.

My Tactics:
1. Wake up early.
5:30 AM to be exact.

2. Drink a Nalgene of water.
Right when I wake up, before consuming anything else.

3. Have 10-20ish minutes of quiet time.
For me, this looks like reading my bible, scribbling in my journal, doing some stretches and praying. I might do one of these things or all of them everyday. No matter what, I know that taking a few quiet minutes for myself will help with my mindfulness for the whole day.

4. Exercise in the morning.
With Everett in the morning, that looks like taking him on a jog with me. When he's at "school", that can look like taking a class at my gym or lifting weights. I need to get stronger. And I need to stop whining about how I need to get stronger and just GET STRONGER.

5. Eat a healthy breakfast.
This is a no-brainer if I'm doing all these other things early in the morning. Gotta fuel! The good thing is I already have this one on lock-down - I've never been one to miss a meal.

6. Tackle the biggest item on my to-do list.
Whatever that thing is that I HAVE to get done, I'm just going to tackle it first. Then there's no room for dread. I hate dread.

7. Read in the evenings.
This one is really important to me. As a reader and a writer, I feel like I'm starving without dedicated reading time. It's time to dedicate some time :)

8. Go to bed early.
Lights out at 9:30pm.

Why am I sharing all of this with you? Because I'm an annoying blogging oversharer, duh. Just kidding! I don't have to be this ridiculously vulnerable. But I have this feeling that I am not alone. In fact, I know I'm not. So in case you're a little like me, and you would like to find a way to create more happiness and productivity in your personal world, I'd like to invite you to join me for Intentional October. This isn't a diet or some self-help plan out of a book. This is just taking the reins of your own life and getting serious about your intentions. Is there some area in your life that you want to discipline? Are there a few changes you know you want to make but you just need a jump start? And perhaps a community to cheer you along? Well, you've found it. Let's get intentional together!

So many of you responded to yesterday's post, through Instagram, Facebook, here on the blog and even via text! It's so encouraging to hear that I'm not alone on this journey, but you should know that you're not along either! Want some camaraderie as you begin your 30-day trek? You can start a conversation here on the blog by posting a question or comment beneath the posts, tag #intentionaloctober on Instagram and get a conversation going on my Facebook. It's comforting to have a community for accountability!

So today - make your lists!

Your To-Do:
1. Settle on a goal.

2. Figure out what's holding you back from that goal. List all the hindrances.

3. Set some attainable tactics to combat those hindrances you listed. You've got 30 days, the month of October, to re-set your habits. Habits create lifestyle!

3. Get accountable with someone. Tell me, tell your mom, BFF, sister, husband, whoever! They're going to cheer you on and remind you to keep going if you get in a slump two weeks from now. Tell instagram too, with the hashtag #intentionaloctober

Are you ready? We are getting started Thursday, Oct. 1!

Hi, Old Friend.

On Saturday night, I was cleaning up the kitchen from dinner and Stevie was taking out the trash. He came back in the house and said, "Kris, you've got to stop what you're doing and come out here."

I stepped outside and whoa. I couldn't see it, but I could feel it.

It wasn't just cool - it was cold. It was like I had stepped out onto the dark porch and back into a memory, one from our days in Boston. Walking home from dinner in Harvard Square and snuggling up together as we meandered those cobblestone streets in the black night, the chilly autumn weather dancing all around our feet. It was wonderful and sweet and, wow, life was really simple then. Even though it didn't feel like it at the time.

And as I stood, barefooted on my own back porch, far far away from the life I journeyed in Cambridge, Massachusetts a few years ago, I was swept away in that memorable moment. Such a simple one. All because of the strikingly cold weather. It's enticing, what our senses can do for us.

Stevie and I just stood out there for a long while, feeling the hard porch wood beneath our feet and the cold enveloping all around. We took deep breaths and silently welcomed this old friend, this autumn chill signaling it's time. Time for knotty sweaters and mulled cider and crackling bonfires and apple picking and fan girl phenomena about all things pumpkin. Time for walks through Williams Sonoma with to-go cups from Starbucks to sniff out all the harvest recipes. Time for watching football in the living room, eating chili and knitting blankets that I will never finish. Time for Sunday afternoon naps and woolly socks and sloshing around in the crispy leaves. It's time for all of it. It's beginning again. Welcome, old friend. Have your way.