December Goals!

Working retail during the holidays is rough. The hours are insane, there are so many unhealthy temptations just lying around, and with tons of social commitments, sleep is definitely not a priority. I want to take this month to keep myself healthy, mostly so that I can make it to the end of the year without being deathly ill.

|| one ||

Christmas Shopping (and budgeting) done by mid-month.

There is no reason to leave Christmas shopping to the last minute, and I certainly have enough people to shop for. I have a rough list already made, so I just need to budget out the gifts and actually buy them.

|| two ||

S T A Y  H E A L T H Y

Pretty self-explanatory. I plan on pre-planning my meals at work, and am in the process of joining a gym. If I can combine that with getting somewhat regular sleep (no less than 6 hours/night), then I should make it to December 31st unscathed.

|| three ||

Get aggressive on the Half-Marathon training.

This is no joke. I have my flights booked, and I really can't look like an idiot (ha, in my tutu) with two of my best friends probably way more prepared than I am. Hopefully goal two (joining that gym) will motivate me more to move my butt than getting outside in these frigid temperatures.

|| four ||

Enjoy the holidays.

For the last 3 years, work has taken the fun out of taking a step back and actually enjoying the Christmas season. I'm determined to not be a Scrooge this year. I want to be excited about baking cookies, decorating the house, watching Elf incessantly, spending time with my family, and wrapping gifts.

My November goals weren't so bad. Here's how I did with those...

|| one ||

Establish a Routine.

Eh. I have different routines based on which shift I work, but I have definitely been better about getting to bed at the same time each night, and waking up around the same time each morning. 

|| two ||

Read 3 books.

CHECK!

I finished "How to Eat a Cupcake," read "Catching Fire" for a 2nd time, and just finished "Divergent," also for the 2nd time. 

|| three ||

Save half of each paycheck.

CHECK!

I have double in my savings account than I did at the beginning of the month! Yay for being a smarter shopper!

|| four ||

Christmas shop early.

Well, I have a list, but I keep checking it and checking it and checking it before I commit to buying anything. There are just so many fun presents that I want to buy, and I have to decide what makes the most sense.

How did you do on your goals?

What goals do you have for December?

Colorful Friday.

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By the time this posts, I will have been at work for a few hours servicing all of the crazies that have been shopping since they put away their dinner plates from Thanksgiving.

Working retail has put a whole new perspective on Black Friday and all that it entails. While my company does not refer to the day after Thanksgiving as Black Friday, but Colorful Friday, sometimes, it certainly feels Black. Almost like these people are mourning the start of the holiday season. The shoppers are rude, only looking for the best deals (I'm sorry, Louis Vuitton, Neiman Marcus, Lilly Pulitzer, and Lululemon are not going to have doorbuster sales), and it seems as though everyone who walks through the door is miserable.

I have to ask the question; if you are so miserable, why are you out shopping? Shouldn't you be spending time with family and friends, watching football, and stuffing your belly full of delicious leftovers? I know that I am lucky that my store is not open on Thanksgiving, but plenty are. If we as consumers stopped going to these stores at ridiculous hours, they would certainly not be open. The deals may seem appealing, but is a new television more important than an extra day with family? I certainly don't think so!

Black Friday shoppers are probably my least favorite of them all. Throughout the holidays, I'll have my fair share of miserable people, but nothing beats sleep-deprived, deal-hoarding customers.

So, I have to ask, what are you shopping for today?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours!

And remember, Eat More Ham!

Thanksgiving Traditions.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays in the world. The traditions, the family, and of course the food just make me smile. On a typical Thanksgiving, we've got 20+ family members smushed into the dining room fighting over a seat at the kid's table. This year, only 8 of us will gather around the table and stuff our bellies full, but I am sure that it will be just as amazing.

It will start tonight with cleaning the house, having a dance party, and probably a few pizzas. With everyone home from school, work, etc., there will be no lack of noise in this house. Tomorrow morning we'll watch the parade, make some breakfast cocktails, and get cooking in the kitchen. With football in the background, and the turkey in the oven, this has got to be one of my favorite parts of the day. The part right before true chaos ensues, and I have to look presentable to the family (leggings were the greatest thing to ever happen to Thanksgiving).

The family will arrive, the beer pong tournament will begin, and so will the feast. Maybe some Christmas pictures will be snapped, but there will definitely be an abundance of laughter. The night will end early for me seeing that I'll be at work by 7 on Friday, but that will certainly not stop me from having one last slice of Pumpkin Pie before I hit the hay!

What are your favorite Thanksgiving traditions?

The Blog Baton!

I am thrilled to be holding the Blog Baton today!

Join me on instagram as I share my day with everyone in the blogosphere!

Sound like fun? Head over to Mason's blog to sign yourself up!

Thanksgiving Outfit Inspiration.

With Thanksgiving approaching at an alarming rate (I'm really not complaining, it just really snuck up on me), I am making a scramble on what to wear. Comfort is a must, but since tons of pictures will certainly be taken, it must be somewhat cute.

Enter, Lilly Pulitzer's Travel Pant.

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With an elastic waist, and pajama feel, these babies are the perfect pant for Thanksgiving (and let's be honest, also to wear everyday). I purchased my first pair earlier this fall (after being stubborn last year and not buying a single pair), and then another, and another, and now I probably have one pair for each day of the week and I'm not even ashamed to admit that I probably wear them 5/7 days a week. They have a seam in the front and back which also make them look way dressier than they probably should be. Can we all be in agreement that leggings were the best thing to happen to Thanksgiving? Okay, great.

Now that the pants situation is figured out, I'm thinking that I'll throw on a cozy sweater and a tartan scarf to make this cozy cute outfit complete!

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What are you wearing for Thanksgiving!?

Miscellany Monday.

Guys, I had the weirdest weekend ever.

Like, I am still laughing at what an epic disaster it was.

Okay, maybe Friday was really what killed me, but I went from having a jam-packed two days, to literally zero plans whatsoever.

It all started Friday morning when I put my pants on backwards. At 6:30 in the morning. I knew that my day was headed nowhere fast, but I finished getting ready and headed on my merry way. I was working in our Greenwich store (again) and had to meet one of the managers to pick up a key to the store at a nearby hotel. It took me an hour and a half to get to the hotel, which already put me a half hour late for work. The pouring rain and freezing temps didn't help much either.

By the time I finally reached the Avenue, parked, and walked up to the store, I already felt defeated. Little did I know that one of the other managers had given me the wrong alarm code for the store. Basically by 10am I had set off the alarm and the cops were trotting through the front door trying to figure out why I was breaking in.

Fantastic.

I also decided that it was a great idea to wear my Tory Burch Revas for a 2nd day that week, which I never do. By 6pm, my feet were bleeding, swollen, and I was just so cranky that I needed to get home ASAP. Thank goodness I had the weekend off.

Half of my plans ended up falling through for Saturday and Sunday (which ended up being a blessing in disguise). I had a leisurely lunch with Kristen to celebrate her birthday, and passing the NY BAR exam, and then treated myself to a mani/pedi with my Momma (and finally getting After School Boy Blazer). We made dinner, and I snuggled on the couch by the fire to read Catching Fire for the second time.

Yesterday I slept in until after 10:30 (I never do that anymore), and was utterly worthless for the remainder of the day. I don't think I got off of the couch for any extended period of time except to make meals, poke the fire, or walk the dog. I finished Catching Fire, got a little early Christmas shopping done, and finally relaxed. I certainly needed a low-key weekend like this, and I'm thankful that I could get some rest heading into a very busy week at work!

Please tell me that y'all had a more exciting (in a good way!) weekend than me!