Friday Chats: Lately, October

Hey guys! Happy friday! Just checking in with you guys for a Lately post. P.S. How is it October already?! I’m thankful for fall and the cooler weather, but this year is flying by! Here’s what’s been going on with me lately.

Loving

Date nights. B and I try to have a date night once per week to make sure we get some quality time together despite our busy schedules. Since I am an early bird and he works late, we really miss out on that time during the week. There are some days where I leave the house before he’s even awake, and he gets home when I’m already in bed.

We plan date nights in advance and look forward to them all week. They aren’t anything fancy but it’s nice to just spend time together, unplug and not worry about work. We usually go out to dinner and then come home, open a bottle of wine and watch mindless TV together. We try to stay off of our phones and computers as well. It’s a nice way to unplug.

Eating

I’m on such a sushi kick lately. My favorite is to order the rainbow roll wherever I am. I got one earlier this week when I was grabbing drinks with Sarah.

and we ordered this super embarrassing sushi spread last night for date night at Pisces.

It was called the “Love Boat” and the waitress failed to mention until after it came out that most people actually ask for it without the boat. Ya live and ya learn.

Watching

My go-to shows right now are Shahs of Sunset on Sunday nights and Real Housewives of OC on Mondays. I used to feel guilty about watching Housewives shows because they are so mindless, but I just saw that Bethenny has been chartering private planes to take supplies to hurricane victims… it’s proof that they are doing some good in this world from their publicity, haha! B and I also watch Scandal together on Thursdays. I’m sad it’s the last season

Listening To

I still listen to podcasts but not quite as much as I used to when I was commuting 2 hours per day. I also find myself listening to more entertainment podcasts rather than business ones just to give my mind a break. Some of my favorites are:

• The Ladygang
• That’s so Maven by The Healthy Maven
• Nutrition Matters (I usually listen to an episode if the topic interests me)
• Brandi Glanville Unfiltered- whenever she has a guest on that I like! I can’t listen to it every week, though, because hearing her reference her ex so much seriously gets old

Reading

When I heard that Hillary Clinton was released a book about her campaign, I knew I had to read it.

Whether or not you like Hillary Clinton, I would definitely recommend this book. It is fascinating to read from the perspective of a politician who is clearly not going to run for anything again. She is lighthearted and uncensored, and it’s kind of refreshing to see that side of her when she was so stoic on the campaign trail. She talks about being a mom and brings up her family and granddaughter often. I think there’s no doubt that she has paved the way for women to stand up for their beliefs and shoot for their dreams, and that is pretty admirable whether or not you voted for her. I’m still in the middle of reading it, but it is kind of heartbreaking to hear her bring up and over and over how much she feels like she let women down during her campaign. I can’t wait to finish it.

Focusing On

Professional branding! I decided to hire a company to help with my branding, especially tying my podcast, blog and business together. The experience has been phenomenal.

We meet for an hour each week over Skype and discuss a certain topic. One meeting was all about myself and why I wanted to start my business. Another meeting was about my ideal client. Last week we compared my website, blog and social media accounts to other people in the same field. It has been great for a couple of reasons. One is that they have really helped me see that I am part of my brand, and it’s okay to show myself, my life and my interests as part of my content. I have been stuck in feeling like every blog post other than Friday chats has to be something informational about nutrition, and that has really stunted my creativity. Another thing is that that have pushed me to refine my description of my ideal client. Like many entrepreneurs out there, I was afraid that I would alienate myself if I did this, so it has been a nice push.

Putting Off

Yard work, but we need to do it! We were in the process of getting some work done in our back yard right before the hurricane hit. Then it was a muddy mess for over 2 weeks after that, and we lost momentum to plant things. We need to finish a landscaping plan and plant grass. Womp Womp.

Anticipating

Showing you my new office! I’m just trying to organize things and decorate a bit. I can’t wait for you guys to see it

Be Grateful

Okay, I added this one just for this month. The Las Vegas shootings have really hit me hard. I’m not sure what’s appropriate to say on the blog and still keep this feeling light-hearted, but I can’t just not say anything. Most of you guys know this but I was on campus the day of the Virginia Tech shooting. Every time a new shooting happens, it brings me right back to that day. I can’t even describe the feeling.

I will just say this, and it’s the same way I felt in April 2007 at school…. you never know what is going to happen in life. Today could be our last day here. We need to be kind to each other and treat each other with kindness, respect and compassion. We need to work together. We need to do things to make this country and world a better place.

Okay I will step off of my soapbox now

~

What’s on the agenda this weekend for you? I’m going mountain biking on Sunday and I can’t wait!

Would you like for me to do a separate post about my branding process?

I’d love to hear what’s going on with you lately: Loving / Eating / Watching / Listening / Reading / Focusing on / Putting off / Anticipating lately?