September Wrap-Up

It is finally Autumn, the season I feel that the majority of people in my life enjoy the most. I'm usually a little sad to see Summer wave goodbye, but I'm enjoying the changes in each season more and more. I'm looking forward to going camping, heading out to the pumpkin patch and carving pumpkins, and handing out candy at Halloween. I've already indulged in pumpkin coffee and apple crisp with vanilla ice cream (yummm), but a goal I've got my eye set on for the season is making more soups! In my crockpot! I have a broccoli cheddar soup recipe I'd like to perfect. I'm going to try to make Robby's grandmother's prized Cream of Crab soup (I feel like it's a trap from the beginning), and I'm making chili tomorrow from a tried and true recipe. I'm kind of excited for the cooler weather.

Physical Lessons

Back in March 2016, my friend, Mandy, and I purchased a 10-class pass to Sky Fit at our local trampoline park. We had saved up the money to buy it, we went to three classes, and then stopped. For over a year. So, we just recently picked a day of the week and we've already gone to a class every week in September. The instructor is amazing, and my neighbor has even started coming with us. Now I feel like I have a little community of positive women I get to interact with weekly who are practicing self-love and acceptance, myself included.

Since I've been working with the Intuitive Eating Workbook, the pressure to exercise has been mostly lifted. It no longer feels like a burden that's looming in the back of my mind to counterbalance what I'm eating. Last week, I came home from work with more energy than usual, so I went downstairs and worked out. I slept great, and the soreness in my muscles the next day was welcomed. In September, I walked over 36 miles - which is huge for me considering I viewed it as a chore rather than a celebration of what my body is capable of doing. It's still a journey, but I feel like I'm finally making progress in an area of my life that I've been struggling in for so, so long. And it has always started with finding the strength and bravery to love myself in the way that I love others.

Relationship Growth

My boss mentioned the other day that she viewed me as a sensitive person. When she first said that, I took it offensively, which probably proved her point. But she explained that she admired how attentive I was to other people and how they are feeling. She said I take their feelings into consideration before I express my own, and it's a skill she wishes she had more of. I know the point of this section is supposed to be how I'm working on relationships with other people, but in the past couple months of working on myself, I'm seeing the huge relationship gap I have with myself. I am more critical, less forgiving, harsh, angry.

An exercise I did for my 2018 planner was to text three to five people I trusted and respected and ask them what they admired about me. My job was to accept what they said and to thank them for their words, and I was humbled by the responses I got. So right now, and through September, I am working on my relationship with me. I am patient and understanding with others. I am forgiving and open-minded. And I need to get to that place with me. I'm closer than I was on September 1, but I'm still working on it. I'm still working on it.

Twitter Highlights

Professional Skills

I had to come to the hard realization, as I think I alluded to last month, that I am not a detail-oriented person. Especially on big projects. It was such a bummer because I always told myself I was. But I've realized through these various assignments I've been given that I have to continuously remind myself to be a detail-oriented person: did I check to make sure the document looks good before handing it over to my superior? Did I read through all the information thoroughly?

As an editor, I'm very detail-oriented. As someone who is doing other work? Not so much. So I'm trying to be more conscious of that moving forward. I think part of it stems from just trusting either the person I received the work from, or falling into the habit of not double-checking my work (which I did in college - I would turn in papers without proofreading them *cringe* and manage to get decent grades on them). Surprise: I can't get away with the same stuff I did in college. Sooo, let's pay attention to the details, Ashley, otherwise next month will end with the same skills that I haven't learned . . .

Books I've Read

I didn't finish any books in September. However, I thoroughly enjoy reading The Magnolia Journal from cover to cover when it comes out. So, the Autumn issue hit stands this month, and I snagged it . . . and read it cover to cover. The articles were inspiring (and where my monthly mantra came from), the recipes looked delicious, and the aesthetic absolutely gorgeous. If you're a fan of the Gaines family, or are just in need of a little change in perspective, I would highly suggest picking up this season's issue. It was the little treat that I needed and helped give me a fresh look at gratitude.

Monthly Mantra

September Reflections

I had the awesome experience of going crabbing for the second time in my life in September. My husband, father-in-law, Chip, and I jumped into a truck at 4:30 AM, and headed down the shore to a place they call "the shipyard." We dropped the boat into the water, and off we went. To say it was a stunning experience is an understatement. I took a ton of pictures and video, and I would like to detail that trip a little more as a post in the future, so keep an eye out. But it was just one in a list of great experiences this month.

Others include: taking Robby to Skyline Drive for his first time (we saw two bears and he got a National Parks passport, which he was really excited about); trying out a Crossfit class and finding out I actually really enjoy Crossfit; enjoying bonfires in our new fire pit (thanks Wyatt); and going to a local craft show with my mom and step-dad.

Music I enjoyed in September is, ashamedly, Maroon 5's new song, "What Lovers Do," and Portugal. The Man's "Feel It Still." TV I watched included the whole Sex and the City series, to which I concluded that I probably won't be watching it or the movies ever again. I'm just not those types of women, and the lifestyles they live aren't ones I would ever want to live. My husband and I also started watching The Wire, but I totally forgot about it and stopped my Amazon Prime subscription. So I'll probably have to do a temporary membership just so we can finish the series. Otherwise, the only "new" movie I watched was I Saw the Light with Tom Hiddleston as Hank Williams, and I wasn't impressed. The movie was hard to follow and didn't explain anything. I felt like the only people who would enjoy it would be the die hard fans who already know about his life in-depth. As someone who knew virtually nothing about him, I didn't find it enjoyable.

Things I was grateful for in September:

1. Blackberry Mochas

2. Inkwell Press planner

3. Great workouts and workout buddies

4. Patient, understanding people in my life

5. Any work day with light traffic on my commutes

Thanks for reading! Out of the things I mentioned I'd be doing in October, what are you interested in hearing about? Let me know! xoxo