Photo by Taylor Simpson

Well this week has been a whirlwind to say the least. So. Much. Emotional. Chaos!!! My family keeps being tested, but hey, life was never meant to come without problems. That's why it's crucial to seek out accessible things that put a smile on our faces.  I really appreciate how our priorities become clearer as we age, and the older I get, the more and more I savor all the small but fulfilling things in life. Here's a list of the things that have made me happy this week. I hope you share yours too! And thanks so much for spending time reading this post. Your support means the world to me!

Photo by Kevin Lee

1. Deleting Uber and Lyft!! I LOVE saving money. I am slowly but surely becoming addicted to saving as much as I can on the frivolous luxuries I've gotten used to. It's kind of like a game. If you live in a bustling city like me, you will probably feel sick to your stomach if you look at your uber receipt history. I know I do, and that's why I am loving saving money by saying no to shared rides when I can easily take the subway.

Photo by Will Truettner

1. Reading outside - I love grabbing a blanket and sitting in the shade in the park or reading along the waterfront or my apartment balcony. It's a great way to just escape and dive into a fictional world.
2. Watching Desperate Housewives - y’all this show is wild!! I grew up watching this show with my mom but haven’t watched it in like a decade so it’s basically like watching a brand new show. I’m obsessed, and I got my roommate obsessed, so now I have someone who I can talk about the show with.
3. Going on a random walk while listening to a podcast. This is my favorite thing to do when I’m feeling lonely. I love walking down a tree-lined street filled with brownstones or walking through a park. I get exposed to so many new and interesting ideas from the podcasts while also discovering beauty in NYC/JC home. (Mom Monde: Just be sure to keep your volume down a little bit, only walk when it’s light outside and be aware of your surroundings. It sucks that it even has to be said but rather safe than sorry, right?)
4. Getting ice cream from an ice cream truck in the park- it’s the best on a hot day and they only cost like $1.50.
5. Yoga - I recently started going back to yoga and I forgot how much I miss therapeutic, slow-paced yoga.
6. Taking "Me Time" in the morning before work. This is my favorite new ritual. I literally refuse to just hop out of bed and start getting ready for work now. I spend the first hour of my day doing things that I actually want to do and it’s been great! Yes, that means I wake up an hour earlier than I used to (on good days), but it’s soooooo freaking worth it. Tbh, I still hit snooze 3 out of 5 days a week when my alarm goes off at 5:15, but it’s my goal to start making 5:15 my “me time hour” and 6:15 my blog mode hour. There are so many things I want to do before heading into the office. Now I just have to push myself to do them.
7. Flipping through a glossy magazine, reading luxe blogs or spending time on Pinterest making vision boards. There’s something so relaxing about flipping through a lux magazine or curating pretty photos that transfers me to a different place - like a little free trip that feeds into my wanderlust. I firmly believe that some escapism is good for the soul - it allows us to dream a little bigger.