Chit Chat: A New Job

I have news that I am so excited about to share. I have a new job!

Since graduating law school I have been unhappy with my job situation. I cannot even begin to count the number of hours and days that I have spent worrying and crying because I was just plain unhappy. I tried numerous times to approach my former employer about my position and in hopes of creating some plan that would make me feel better about my job. After many discussions, my boss made it clear that she was very happy with how things were and that she had no intentions of anything ever changing.

Knowing that there was no way for me to grow in my job, for me to be happier, or for my position to improve I knew I needed to make a change. I kick started a job search a very long time ago and let me tell you it was hard. For months and months I felt like a complete failure that no one wanted. I sent out dozens of resumes, tried to look at it from every angle possible, approached everyone I knew and many people I didn't and absolutely nothing came from it.

I had largely given up. I felt hopeless and had really began to believe that I was completely stuck where I was. Then less than a month ago the secretary for an attorney that I had tried to get to meet with me for months called on a Friday afternoon. She said her boss asked her to call me to find out if I knew any attorneys looking for a job. I immediately replied, "Me!" After asking if I was serious she asked a few other questions and said she would pass the information on to her boss. The next Monday she called and asked me to come to their office that day. When I arrived at their office they began immediately telling me what I would be responsible for at their office, the office schedule, and we discussed pay. It was also decided that on December 18th I would give my two weeks notice.

Today marks my seventh day at my new job. Maybe it is the newest of it but I am happy and excited. I have been told that there are many possibilities for growth here and that is what I want. I want the opportunity to grow, to be successful, and to always improve. This new job serves as a reminder that if you work hard and are kind great things will happen.

P.S. This is a little freaky but when I visited a psychic over the summer she told me I would get a new job opportunity in December!

image via: The Everygirl

Pardon The Interruption

Starting today Jessica and I will begin slowly getting back into routine. Last night I was so sad to see the last minute of my Christmas holiday creeping up but today I am excited and ready to really get this new year off on the right foot. We took a little more of an extended break from blogging than we originally intended but breaks are a good thing. Relaxing over the last two weeks while trying numerous hot chocolate recipes, reading three books, having so many movie nights that I lost count, and just generally being lazy while trying to stick as close to home as possible was exactly what I needed. I cannot wait to get caught up with my favorite blogs and we have some great posts coming up in the next few weeks. We hope you are ready to have a great year too.

image via: Camille Styles

Chit Chat: Christmas Gifts

So I'm curious... Do you buy yourself a Christmas gift?

I do. I really cannot remember when this little yearly ritual started for me, but I am pretty certain that it was at some point while I was in college. I always buy clothes and shoes when I need them (okay also sometimes when I want them) but otherwise I do not make a lot of purchases. However, every year at Christmas time I treat myself to one or two items that I want not need. It is never anything extravagant but I pick out something pretty and fun that I would not typically otherwise purchase. Sometimes it is something that I have wanted for a long time.

For years my coworkers have teased me about my tradition but the other day I heard that 67% of people purchase themselves at least one gift during the holiday season. It seems I fall in the majority and now I am beginning to wonder if a few of my coworkers are just unwilling to admit they get themselves a gift at Christmas.

If you are planning on getting yourself a little something for the holidays but haven't done so yet make sure to check out our gift guides.

Gifts for the Bookworm
Gifts for the Glamour Girl
Gifts for the Sophisticated Socialite
Gifts for the Homebody
Gifts for the Rocker Chick
Gifts for the Party Planner


image via: Luella & June

Being Thankful

I have been experiencing a series of setbacks and let-downs lately. Combined with how hectic things have been and I have realized that I am just kind of going through the motions of day-to-day life without taking any time to appreciate all of the little things I love about this time of the year.

October through December is my favorite time of the year. To me it will always be kind of magical. I love the festivities, the celebrations, and the traditions. My plans for the next couple months include slowing down, taking some time to myself, remembering to be thankful for all of the little things that make everyday life special, focusing on getting some needed rest, and then regrouping. So here is to enjoying the rest of November and getting excited about the upcoming holidays.

So whether it is the smell in the air, the crunch of the leaves under my feet, or having cinnamon in my hot chocolate I am going to appreciate the little things in life and practice being grateful. After all it is the most wonderful time of the year.

image via: Moon and Trees

One Of Those Weeks

I had a different post planned for today and it was something I was really excited about writing but yesterday everything kind of hit me. It is my own fault. By being maybe overly ambitious and saying that I can do everything I am now worried that I have gotten in over my head with the amount of work that I need to get complete. Not only is it going to be one of those weeks it is not going to be any better next week.

I have commented on here before about how summer is a quietest time at my office but summer has definitely given way to fall over the last couple weeks. If you are a regular reader of this blog you likely know that I am a lawyer. Besides my job in a small law firm I also do some work on my own during my free time. I knew I was going to be busy with numerous days scheduled in court over the next couple weeks plus numerous projects scheduled at the office when another attorney I have been trying to get a meeting with for months called over the weekend and asked if I would be willing to accept a contract to write an appeal for her. I did not hesitate in saying yes.

Unfortunately a large chunk of the time to get the appeal submitted to the Court of Appeals has passed. Now I have to really hustle to fit getting brought up to date on the case, reviewing the files, doing the research, and drafting the appeal brief into my already jammed pack schedule that also includes entertaining an out of town guest next weekend.

Weeks like this make me anxious. There is so much to get done. I want to do a great job and I am thankful for opportunities likes these that may help me propel myself forward but these times also remind me that I still struggling to find job I love and a place where I want to be. Thanks for letting me vent and please be forgiving if I fall a little behind with posts and responding to emails these next couple weeks.

image via: Style Me Pretty

14 Items Every Woman Should Keep In Her Desk

These days it feels like most of us spend more time at the office than we do at home. With as much time as I spend at work my desk has become a very important space to me. Even if you don't pretty much live at the office it is crucial to be prepared for unexpected meetings and emergencies. This is why I have prepared my list of 14 essentials every woman should keep in her desk.

ONE // Flats. Comfy shoes in a neutral color are a must for keeping in your desk for those days when your feet are killing you after putting in some long hours. These are my current favorites.

TWO // Back-Up Tech Supplies. We rely on our cell phones so much. I used to freak out when my battery started to get low at the end of the work day until I began keeping a phone charger at work. I have also found it helpful to keep a spare pair of ear buds in my desk.

THREE // Stain Remover. I keep Tide Pens To Go everywhere including in my desk. They prevent me from being embarrassed by any morning coffee or lunch mishaps.

FOUR // Feminine products. It is way better to keep these in your desk than to have to ask your coworker for a tampon.

FIVE // Umbrella. I keep one of these in my desk so that an unexpected rain storm doesn't have me showing up at a meeting across town soaking wet. This umbrella is compact enough to keep in your desk and very cute too.

SIX // Reuseable Water Bottle. This water bottle is a favorite of mine. Keeping a water bottle on your desk reminds you to keep sipping water all day which is great for you.

SEVEN // Snack. I always keep a stash of healthier pick-me-up snacks in my desk. My favorites include nuts, dried fruit, popcorn, and peanut butter.

EIGHT // Lint Roller. For everyone who has a cat or a dog this needs no explanation.

NINE // Makeup Bag Essentials. I like to keep deodorant, clear nail polish, blotting papers, lip balm, mascara, and hand cream at work.

TEN // Hair Ties. Usually at some point during a long day I need to get my hair pulled back out of my face.

ELEVEN // Hand Sanitizer. When someone gets sick at work you can count on it spreading like crazy. Hand sanitizer is a must to prevent getting sick. I like these towelettes that I also use to wipe down my phone and computer.

TWELVE // Basic First Aid Supplies. Everyone gets headaches especially when staring at a computer all day. I always keep some pain relievers at work and a stash of band-aids.

THIRTEEN // Toothbrush and Toothpaste. I cannot stand for my teeth to feel icky. Sometimes a toothbrush is just needed especially after my morning latte. I also keep mouthwash and floss in my desk too.

FOURTEEN // Mints. Helpful when you have a meeting right after lunch.

Are there any other essentials you think every woman should keep in their desk?

P.S. The top of your deserves some pretty office supplies.

image via: Ashley Ella Design, edited by Sunny Days and Starry Nights

Chit Chat: Things I Know To Be True

I celebrated my birthday last Friday. It was great and involved a weekend spent with friends and family. I am thankful to have people in my life that go out of their way to make my birthday feel special.

The last few days I have spent a lot of time reflecting on my past and thinking about the future. Admittedly there are still many, many things that I have no clue about but there are few things that I know for certain to be true and I thought I would share a few of them with you today.

ONE // Cutting off toxic relationships will instantly improve the quality of your life. The people you spend time with matter. Removing toxic people from your life is one of the best things you could ever do for yourself. It doesn't matter if it is a so-called friend, a boyfriend, or a family member if someone makes you feel bad about yourself or your life they do not deserve your time. You cannot hang out with negative people and expect to live a positive life.

TWO // Life is not fair. In fact, often life can be hard and sometimes even cruel. Sometimes you will struggle and it is okay if when things are tough or you are overwhelmed if all you can do is put one foot in front of the other so you can make it through the day. It is, however, important to not forget that you do have things to thankful for and to count your blessings.

THREE // Not everyone is going to like you and that is okay. You have nothing to prove to anyone. Be proud of who you are and not ashamed of how others see you. I have always been fortunate in that I have never had any desire to change who I am in order to be like everyone else. While I never had any urge to give into any pressure to be a certain way there were times when being different could be isolating. I am aware that my personality and the things that I like can be a little quirky or unexpected but I love that about myself. I think it is a large part of what makes me interesting.

FOUR // You should always trust your gut instincts. You need to trust yourself. Listen to your soul and do not let the voice inside you get drowned out by all of the noise that surrounds you. Going against your intuition will most likely lead to disaster.

FIVE // Your heart is your best compass. Karma is real. Few things are more important that kindness, compassion, and empathy. People do not forget how you treated them and how you made them feel.

SIX // Meditating really does help your mind and your soul. I worry, I stress, I feel anxious to the point where I have had panic attacks. While meditation does not fix whatever is bothering me it does help quiet my mind and help me relax. I have also found that a few minutes of peaceful silence each day helps nourish my soul, strength my self awareness, and heighten my clarity.

SEVEN // Asking yourself "will this matter a year from now?" can put most things into perspective. Life goes on. If a decision, a so-called disaster, a failure, or a mistake will not matter a year from now don't lose any sleep over it.

EIGHT // Your body knows what you need. If you are not taking care of yourself and you are not healthy it is hard to enjoy life. I have often found that when I get sick it is my body's way of trying to give me a message. That message might be that I need to stop stressing, that I need to recharge, that I need to drink more water, exercise, eat better, or get more sleep. When I give my body what it needs and wants I feel better. This also applies to when I am emotionally or mentally drained. Your emotional and mental health affect your entire well-being. Always allow yourself to replenish.

NINE // Naps and long, hot showers are two of the best luxuries in life. Both are so simple but they never fail to help put things into perspective, to energize me, and pamper me.

TEN // It is okay to be a work in progress. No one has everything figured out. No one finds their way on the same timetable and being sad, confused, or scared are legitimate feelings. You are not alone in how you feel. No matter how we feel about ourselves and our current situations, there are others out there with the same emotions. Not many people are living in those instagram perfect worlds we see on social media and sometimes that is hard to remember. The important thing is to keep working on yourself and your life.

ELEVEN // If you don't want anyone to find out don't do it. It should go without saying that if it is something you would be to ashamed to call up either your best friend or your mom and tell them about it it is something you should stay away from. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

TWELVE // To heal a wound you have to stop touching it. If something makes your heart feel heavy or feels like a burden sit it down, leave it there, and walk away. There is nothing that says you have to hold on to anything that does not make you happy.

THIRTEEN // If you want something you have to ask for it. The worst that can happen is that you are told no. At least you will know where you stand. It is better to know than to always wonder.

FOURTEEN // The better practice is quality over quantity in everything. Life is to short for bad food, bad books, bad music, and bad people. If something or someone is subpar go without. Surround yourself with the best and your life will be better for it.

FIFTEEN // You have to be your own best friend. Always go with yourself, never against yourself. The longest and most important relationship you will have in life is with yourself. Accept yourself, support yourself, and cheer for yourself to do well. You are not always going to have other people in your corner and that is why it is important that you can always count on yourself.

image via: Ashley Ella Design

Chit Chat: Making Time For Blogging

Last Friday I talked briefly about how busy this summer has been. While the busy days have been great and Jessica and I have been really enjoying our fun summer it has meant that we haven't been spending as much time blogging. It seems like we have barely been home this summer and when we are home many of our days have been spent entertaining friends or engaged in other hobbies we have picked up this summer.

We hadn't planned for our blog content to be so intermittent this summer but with our plates full something had to give. While normally I would have freaked out (I am kind of a Type A) by our lack of posts and by our lack of a regular blogging schedule, during the last couple months I decided that it was best to allow ourselves to have a break. Forcing ourselves to stress out or to try to create posts when time is limited didn't seem like the right thing to do.

Anyone who has ever blogged no matter how small their blog is knows that blogging and creating content takes a lot of time. While our blog is small it is our tiny little corner of the internet and we couldn't love it more. This summer we didn't want to force ourselves to create content just to have something to post. When time doesn't allow we have decided it is better to not post instead of sharing something we are not proud of or sharing something with you that we don't truly love or believe important.

With all of this being said now that Jessica is starting school again and my work schedule is getting back to normal we hope that we get back into our regular routine of posts.

How has summer been treating you? Have you been busy also?

image via: Classy Girls Wear Pearls

Happy Weekend

This summer has been so busy but not necessarily busy in a bad way. In fact this summer has been a lot of fun. I have, however, been on the go and surrounded by people most of the summer. Even on the days when I have had no plans something inevitably has came up. This weekend I intend to have a quiet couple days at home. I have absolutely no plans which is one of the best feelings in the world. I hope it will lead to me catching up on my "me time" and maybe fitting in a new recipe or two and possibly even sneaking in a nap.

Do you feel like this summer has been a whirlwind of activity too? Or have you been enjoying a lot of relaxing down time?

image via: Stephanie Sterjovski

Chit Chat: Enjoying Life

A couple months ago I was sitting with a group of other attorneys as we were waiting for our cases to be called before the judge. Everyone was talking about these dream vacations they were hoping to take and how great it would be to get out of town. During this time I was going through a period where I was feeling especially burned out. It was seeming like I was being pulled in every directions and just could not get a break. I piped in to the conversation and stated that I just wanted a week to stay at home and watch Netflix. My statement received a few laughs but it couldn't have been closer to the truth. I didn't get that quiet time for myself that I wanted then but I held on and now July has finally arrived.

July has become the time of the year when I have the most me time. Glorious, glorious me time. Most of the year I definitely feel frazzled, exhausted, and stressed but then July shows up and something magical happens. Work slows down for four or five wonderful weeks, I manage to avoid the office a little more than usual, I spend more time doing things I love, and I actually find myself feeling relaxed.

This July has started out like a repeat of my last three. I have been spending time with friends and family, laughing more than usual, I have already breezed through several books, hosted a couple game nights (seriously one of the best ways to spend an evening), and started majorly organizing everything at home. I have also found myself unplugging for the most part when I am home. And I have to say that that feels nice. Being always connected, feeling like I always have to be available, and constantly checking work or social media online makes all aspects of life feel hectic.

The best part about this July and something that I am really excited about is that in a little over a week I have 11 consecutive days scheduled for myself. I have no major plans, no responsibilities, and no obligations. I have no intentions of doing anything that I do not 100% enjoy. I intend to spend a few of those days having the perfect time home alone. I want to try new recipes, have a Netflix marathon (or two), read more of the stack of books I have beside my bed, and take afternoon naps.

Are you enjoying a slower paced summer and getting some quality me time too?

image via: Could I Have That

Happy Independence Day

Jessica and I are taking the weekend off to celebrate the holiday weekend and Jessica's birthday with family and friends. Summer is flying by and we hope that the pause this weekend will help us remember to enjoy every moment before summer has passed us by. Have a great Independence Day.

image via: Ann Street Studio

Happy Weekend

Hooray for weekends! Being cooped up in the office the last few weeks been torture. I am one of those people who always has several to do lists but lately aside from my typical work/errand lists that I also have a list of fun things I want to check off in the next couple months. (You can see a few items on my list here). Feeling like I am chained to my desk when there are so many (fun) I want be doing is increasingly difficult. I will be fine soon but right now I am feeling antsy.

This weekend should be fun. My favorite cousin will be visiting this weekend. I expect to be hosting impromptu game nights and eating lots of not so good for me foods. Saturday I have book club which is always a great time. We will be discussing this book. Have you read it? If so, I would love to know your thoughts.

image via: Sugar and Charm

Chit Chat: Our First Visit To A Physic

Jessica and I did something a little surprising (at least for our nonadventurous selves) a couple weeks ago. We visited a physic! I first mentioned our interest in seeing a physic a few months ago.

Visiting a physic had been on our to-do list for a long time. While on vacation we happened to drive by a little shop that offered psychic readings and classes. I was a little hesitant but Jessica immediately wanted to set up an appointment. We had no idea what to expect and didn't really have any understanding of what many of the different kinds of readings meant so we decided to have tarot cards read.

The readings were private. Jessica and I each saw a different physic and were taken into separate rooms. The physics were very friendly and explained the process at the beginning of the reading. I was worried that the experience would be awkward and uncomfortable but those worries were put at ease immediately and I ended up really enjoying the experience.

While I still remain a little skeptical I very impressed with some of the information my physic seemed to know. Jessica and I did not provide them any details about ourselves before our readings including not giving them our names. A few highlights from my reading: The physic I was with immediately saw a man that was with me that she determined was my grandfather. She knew details about his death including what he had been suffering from when he died and that I had been in the hospital when he was there. She also knew that I am a lawyer and that I am not happy with my job. She said she could see that I had been trying to figure what I wanted to do career wise but that I still feel lost. She told me that in the next 6 months I will face some challenges but not to worry that everything would work out and that I would then have an opportunity that would come my way (a new job/career) and that I would be able to rebuild and move forward successfully.

Jessica's physic also seemed to know a lot about Jessica's job. She was aware that Jessica is about to go back to school (she is in July), that Jessica just got a raise (last month), that Jessica works in education (she's a high school teacher), and that Jessica's employer is paying for her to obtain a certification (her National Board certification). Jessica was informed that she will soon be in a position at work where she will have more power and that by the end of the year she will make a large purchase.

We had so much fun and where surprised with the information we were told. This new experience is likely one of our favorite things from our vacation last month and it will definitely be something we do again in the future.

What are your thoughts on psychics? Have you ever had your tarot cards read before (or done any other kind of reading)?

image via: Rue

Happy Weekend

I have no idea what the next couple days hold. My weekend is surprisingly plan free. It has been almost a month since I have spent any time in the kitchen so I would love to spend some time trying a few new recipes. Maybe finally try making strawberry shortcakes. This Waiting on Martha looks like a winner.

I might be a good weekend to also tackle my closet. It's organization has been horrible for months now. I think I will also try to get a jump start on this month's book club pick. Have you read The Rosie Project? It has really good reviews on Amazon.

What are your plans for the weekend?

image via: Waiting on Martha

Summer To Do List

I mentioned in this post that although we have yet to see the official start of summer for this year I already feel like I am in the middle of it. As someone who likes having a plan (and usually thrives on it) yesterday I jotted down a few goals I would like to accomplish this summer. Seeing a list written down makes everything seem much more actionable.

ONE // Visit the planetarium.

TWO // Host an ice cream social.

THREE // Purchase a new computer.

FOUR // Take my grandmother out to dinner.

FIVE // Read a book each week of summer.

SIX // Under ake the massive task of organizing my closet.

SEVEN // Master making the perfect strawberry shortcake.

EIGHT // Update the makeup products I use for a quick and easy everyday routine.

NINE // Rent a cabin for a long weekend.

TEN // Enroll in a class to learn/try something new - (maybe cake decorating?).

image via: Vogue, edited by Sunny Days and Starry Nights

Be Back Soon

We are heading out of town today on a road trip to the beach. The next week and a half will be spent relaxing and being so lazy. We are staying in a house a few minutes from the beach. We have planned our trip to have largely unstructured days that include little more than relaxing on the beach, spending time by the pool, eating delicious food (and a little too much ice cream), doing a little shopping, and watching some good movies. This trip to the ocean has became a tradition of ours and I look forward to it each year. It is hard to spend a week on the sand breathing in the salty air and not come home with a much better perspective on life.

Jessica and I have opted to not take our laptops so we will be taking a little mini break from drafting blog posts. Keep up with us on twitter and instagram were we will try to share some fun details from our trip.

P.S. If you are planning a road trip of your own check out our summer road trip playlist.

image via: gary pepper

Escaping To The Beach

Jessica and I didn't intend to miss our usual weekend posts but over the last few years I have discovered that each year around the end of April or the beginning of May we really begin to struggle with keeping up. We have been working months since our Christmas break and fatigue and exhaustion have started to set in. We add to that that I am usually juggling several things at once and Jessica is caught up in end of the year activities at school where she teaches before jumping into taking her own classes and we both really struggle with feeling spent.

It has become a yearly tradition for us to escape for a beach vacation each year as soon as Jessica's school year wraps up. We are heading out midweek this year so the last few days have been spent getting prepared to leave. Friday evening and Saturday morning were spent running around in a rush to check off a long list of errands. I finally upgraded my iPhone after 5 years! Saturday evening I sat down on the sofa with Tiger to prepare a post for yesterday but fell asleep and took a 3 hour nap.

I am expecting long days at the office this week as I try to keep from falling behind at work while gone. I also have to finish laundry and packing in the few days before we leave Thursday for 10 days ocean side. Do you have any vacation plans for this summer?

A few favorites to pack for a beach getaway:

image via: smitten studio

Chit Chat: Professional Courtesy

I am a huge believer in karma. I believe if you put good out there good will come back to you. With that goes being kind and practicing the Golden Rule. Sure you will occasionally get screwed and will have to deal with people who do not return your courtesy but overall I feel like the universe balances out. When you are kind or helpful to someone especially during a time period when they really need it more than likely that same kindness will be shown to you when you need it.

My job has been exceedingly stressful for the last year. It has involved a lot of tight deadlines, long hours, countless demands, and an extreme amount of hustle on my part. Which is fine. It is all part of the job but I also have a busy life outside of my regular job including a smaller side job that I work hard at. For the most part with careful scheduling I am able to accommodate everything but it does sometimes create a life that is very tense and exhausting.

A few weeks ago I was almost at my wits' end. I was double booked for two important job related events one of which was totally 100% impossible to move or reschedule. The other only involved a handful of people and although important was a matter that everyone was in agreement regarding. So the schedule event was technically only to get everyone together to enter into the necessary paperwork.

One great thing about my line of work is that everyone is pretty easy going when it comes to accommodating others. In five years I had never once asked to reschedule anything and although I hated contacting everyone asking to reschedule I thought it wouldn't really register as a big deal to anyone. I contacted the four other people involved with plans of reaching an agreement regarding the rescheduling to give the person over the meeting. Three of the four people were exactly as I expected but the fourth would not give her consent. Over the next three days I spent hours on the phone and sending emails trying to find some arrangement that would please this lady but she would not budge. Finally as a last resort I contacted the person over the meeting without an agreement to reschedule. My meeting was continued and set for another day but not in the way I would have liked.

I deal with the lady who refused to the rescheduling on a semi-regular basis. Prior to this I had always thought we had a good working relationship. When I first contacted her to see if she would agree to reschedule I was awestruck by not just her refusal but her harshness. She made statements that I felt were rude and unnecessary. In my line of work meetings are commonly rescheduled at other people's request. It isn't anything new for meetings to be pushed or rescheduled the day before or on the day of. Here I was giving everyone almost two weeks of notice that I needed to reschedule. It was not as if I was proposing something that would have harmed her in anyway. In fact, the reason for the meeting was because she was asking for something and I had been in agreement with her and was willing to consent to her request. All I needed was another few days before completing the paperwork. Her lack of professional courtesy created a more stressful situation for me, caused me almost a week of my time, and not only jeopardized my career but my professional reputation.

I saw her a few days after all of this occurred and she behaved as if nothing had happened. I was friendly to her but honestly for the most part decided it was best if I kept my distance. I am not sure how this situation has left our professional relationship.

How do you handle with difficult people in the work place?

image via: 1

Happy Weekend

This week has been crazy. After being on the go all week I cannot get home this evening and relax. There are few things I want more than to put my pajamas on, eat a good dinner (I see a huge bowl of pasta in my near future), and watch Netflix.

While I have plans to relax tonight the rest of the weekend I will have to be super productive. We are hosting our entire family for dinner tomorrow in celebration of Mother's Day. I always love having everyone including my grandmother and great-aunt over together for meals. My mom's birthday is also in a few days and since we will not be able to get everyone together again so soon we will also include that in our reason to celebrate. The rest of the weekend will be spent catching up on some work and checking a few items off my to-do list.

What are your plans for the weekend?

image via: 1

Chit Chat: Feeling Spent

I am so over the glorification of being busy. Everyone is busy. I like being productive. I love the feeling that comes with putting forth effort and seeing the resulting accomplishments but I hate being busy and I take no pride in overextending myself with an overbooked calendar.

The last couple months have been particularly jammed packed and stressful for me. Work has been nonstop and refusing to slow down. Plus a side project that I have has also been piling it on, which I am thankful for (the extra income is really nice) but I am finding it harder and harder to meet the demands of everything and it is nearly impossible to fit everything on my calendar.

Last Friday when I made it home from work I was grumpy, irritated, and exhausted. I called this being spent because that is exactly how I was feeling. All my energy used up with nothing else to give.

Although I knew it would have been wise to use this weekend to schedule a few blog posts for this week, doing errands, cleaning my embarrassingly messy house, and getting a jump start on work for this weekend I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I felt like even I tried it would have been half-hearted attempts with subpar results. I have yet to even look at my inbox in days simply because I know it is going to be incredibly overwhelming.

This weekend I shutdown. I slept more than I have in months. During the times between naps I read and caught up on the shows on my DVR. That is it. I feel like I needed this weekend in order to make it through the next few weeks so I took it. I may regret not powering through more work in the upcoming days right now I know I made the right decision.

How do you handle feeling spent?

image via: 1