How was your November?! Mine went by WAY. TOO. FAST. and I didn’t accomplish half of the things on my to-do list.
But that’s okay. I’m slowly learning how to be more realistic about how much I can get done in a day or a week or a month. I’ve found that when I pile too many things onto my to-do list, I end up feeling anxious and overwhelmed, which actually makes me way less productive than if I had just set out to accomplish a few fewer thing in the first place!
Other than trying to figure out how to set more realistic goals this month, my dance partner and I spent a weekend performing and teaching in the Catskills. It was so much fun! I felt like I was Penny from Dirty Dancing, except surrounded by people who love to dance as much as I do. The overall energy at the event was so, so wonderful.
And the more I teach dance, the more I realize how AMAZING it is to share something you love so much with people who really want to learn. For a long time, I didn’t think I’d enjoy teaching dance because I am still so focused on learning and getting better, but that’s so not the case! I’m going to be teaching more in December and I’m really looking forward to it!
I also danced with an 86-year-old man during this Catskills weekend who was the definition of #goals. I hope that when I’m his age I am still out there dancing like that!
I celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday outside Seattle with my dad and younger sister. My dad moved out of his house and into a condo last April, so it was the first time we celebrated a holiday in his new space. Overall the holiday was pretty laid-back, which is personally how I like to celebrate the holidays. I’m not a huge holiday person. I don’t get super excited to put up decorations or cook special dishes and I’m not that into fancy celebrations. I prefer to just hang out with a few people that I love and do things I don’t usually do the rest of the time (like sit on the couch and watch movies!), which is what I did a lot of during the four days I was out there.
I checked out of email and social and pretty much everything else too – and it was exactly what I needed!
How was your Thanksgiving holiday? Do you have any fun plans for December? I’d love to hear! Here are a few other things on my mind…
🗣 Do you listen to podcasts? I’m a big fan and one of my favorites just released their second season. It’s called Fortune Favors the Bold and it’s a branded podcast from Gimlet Creative and Mastercard about the role money plays in our lives. I especially liked this episode about what it takes to achieve upward mobility and dispells some of the misconceptions we have about what that process is like.
💰On another money-related note, this weekly personal finance newsletter has been so helpful! It’s a two-minute read with advice that’s concrete and easy to action. You can sign up for it here!
💸One more money thing! Have you heard of E-bates? It’s a coupon site that literally gives you FREE money when you shop online. I try not to do a ton of online shopping, but I refilled a few makeup products from Sephora over the long weekend and on Monday E-bates sent me $15. You get $10 just for signing up here!
✨I’m not a big beauty-product person. I have a few products I use again and again and I try and keep my morning and night skincare routine as simple and fast as possible (it’s literally 3-things). However, I got this moisturizer as part of a gift set when I won the female solo division at the Canada Salsa Congress earlier this year, and I’m obsessed with it! I’ve been putting it on my face every night and when I wake up, my skin is super soft and glowing!
🎥Have you seen the movie The Big Sick? I watched it over the long holiday weekend and loved it! It’s hilarious, such a great love story, and sooooo relatable. It’s based on a true story too!
Xx
Brielle