reporting on this unbusyness

Real talk. October is over (which, btw, where did November go?!), and, as promised, it's time to report on my October goal of slowing life down a little bit.

I wasn't 100 percent successful every single week, but I did a better job than I had been doing of not overcommitting. And I am definitely loving the positive impact. I am feeling more organized and well-rested, and am going to continue my commitment to slowing down through this month as well. In fact, I might even try to make it a lifestyle change. No promises (as an inability to say no is what got me in this pickle to begin with), but it's a thought. And now it's out there. So it's a start.

Also, my purse is still just as organized as it was when I kick-started this self-campaign, so I'm feeling great about that. Little victories :)

And, to solidify my thoughts that this is, in fact a worthwhile quest, my friend Austin recently sent me this article, The Silliness of Busyness, and reminded me that I'm not alone in my feeling of sometimes swimming/sometimes drowning/sometimes can't say no-ness. The part about making list after list to keep track of everything you planned to do really spoke to me, as two frequent items on my daily work to do list (not to be confused with my daily personal to do list) are: check yesterday's list and make to do list for tonight. It's gross.

I took one small step last night of watching TV and not doing anything else while I did it. It was nearly impossible and I can't say I liked it, but I did it. And tomorrow, I think I will not make a single to do list.

Just kidding.

It hurts to even joke about it.

But either way, I'm aware of the problem and am committed to taking charge. And that, my friends, is all I can ask on this fine day.

Happy November to you little rabbits!


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one

In one year you can fly around the world 13 times. You can form 17 new habits. You could walk (and boat) from Atlanta to Sydney, and still have 156 days left to vacation (according to Google maps). Or, you could be me, and be completely shocked that you’d already spent a year in Atlanta.

Where did it go? In some ways it feels like I just packed up my car, and in others, it feels like it has been so long. So many things in my life have changed – I have new friends, and yet somehow feel closer than ever to my oldie goldies, I said goodbye to my first job and started a new one, I decorated my first apartment and am getting ready to pack up and move to my second. I had my first Christmas tree, found my own dry cleaners, got lost about 1,000 times…

Ah! It’s crazy. And although I would certainly never ever give up the last year, because I’ve learned so much, grown a lot, cried a little, laughed a ton, I’m excited for the second one to begin. I feel much more grounded in my life here. I’m less reliant on others and am so excited to see what this city has to offer, now that I’m not longer a total newbie.

Thank you to everyone who has made my first year in Atlanta wonderful. I never would have understood all the hundreds of Peachtrees without you guys.


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brekkie

I've often heard cooking described as an art, but a recent endeavor of mine proves otherwise. Due to a lifelong quest to find the perfect on the go breakfast, I made egg and spinach quiche cups.

I thought they'd look like this:
But they actually turned out like this:
Although they were less than beautiful, they were pretty tasty. They're only 75 calories, and super easy to make (recipe!). I added extra cheese because, well, obviously, and also added jalapenos because I'm having a love affair with them, as well as lots of Cayenne. I think the trouble was that I didn't drain the spinach well enough and too much water overflowed. Also, the suggested 10 ounces of spinach was too much. I'd half it.

And to redeem myself from this disaster, Hannah and I made pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes, and although the pumpkins on top would certainly be abstract art, they made us proud: