Wow, I blinked at it went from being June to the 2nd weekend of October.. like HOW? October is by far my favorite month. but sadly, I have been too busy just trying to keep my head above water to deep dive into fall. Luckily, I finally have a chill weekend. I, like most of the American population, have been go-go-go since summer. I hit the ground running and kind of burned out (emotionally, physically, and financially - yeah traveling so much really drained my bank account). So I am beyond excited to have a nice, restful, and frugal weekend in the city to grant my mind, body, soul, and bank account the proper TLC it needs. 

But more importantly, I'm excited to have a low-key weekend because I finally have the time and energy (energy being the keyword here) to work on the projects I love and to organize the chaos that has taken over my apartment. Personally, my mental well-being is heavily tied to the tidiness of my surroundings, being organized, and working on the creative projects that feed my soul. Having the energy to do the things I want and need to do is probably the biggest obstacle I consistently face. But a crisp, fall weekend to myself offers the perfect opportunity to recharge and rest. 

My one goal for this month is to break my cycle of not showing up for myself on the weekends. Working a 9 to 5 (let's be honest, it's never just 9-5 for most of us) and heading to the gym/dance after work and then coming home to cook, clean, work on my creative projects, work a second job to generate extra forms of income so I'm not stuck in Corporate America for the next 40 fucking years, and get 7-8 hours of sleep ... that is just something I cannot handle at the moment. 

So instead of biting off more than I can chew and getting upset with myself when I'm too exhausted to do all the things after work, I'm setting manageable expectations. For now, the weekends are my holy grail. The weekends will be dedicated to me going after what I want in my career and getting my mind, soul and physical surroundings in order. Then, once I feel like I can handle incorporating my weekend rituals into my weekday routine, I'll move on to the next level and will be able to dedicate even more time to creating a life I am excited about. 

But for now, I will appreciate the chapter I'm in and be kind to myself. I'm excepting that I only have a limited amount of energy right now and that I cannot accomplish all of my goals as quickly as I would like to. But that's ok. I'm retraining my brain to relish in the here and now. To find the beauty in just accomplishing one of the 5 million things on my to-do list. And to find more fulfillment while I'm on this path to creating the life I want. 

So what activities do I have planned for my wellness weekends? Well let's see: 

• Slow mornings filled with slowly enjoying my coffee and breakfast 
• Cleaning the kitchen, living room, and bathroom 
• Decorate for fall/Halloween
• Cook delicious yet healthy meals at home
• Sitting down to write, filming fashion looks, creating inspiring content 
• Cleaning out my closet and switching over to a fall wardrobe that I'm excited about 
• Putting up laundry 
• Watching all the fun Halloween movies & shows with a bottle of wine nearby 
• Deep conditioning my hair 
• Selling clothes I no longer want or fit into 
• Putting together my digital portfolio 
• Researching and creating strategic business plans and content calendars 
• Journaling and becoming clear on my vision and dreams so I can escape the toxic cycles I'm in that don't serve me.

Photo by Svitlana

 Wow... like wowwwwww! It's insane how many historical events our generation has experienced in such a short amount of time. And, yeah, our anxiety is collectively at an all-time high, so it's crucial that we all take time this weekend and chillllll. For our physical and mental health. Plus, I'm hoping we will have a lot of reasons to celebrate this weekend (Team Biden & Harris all the freaking way). But since we are still in this state of limbo, I put together a mini weekend plan for myself, and figured, why not share? I hope my weekend unwind game plan encourages you to make one of your own too. Whether you're trying to be extra frugal this weekend or you're willing to spend a healthy amount on your self-care plan, I'm sending all the positive vibes and love your way this weekend. 

Let's Virtually Escape (well, for a moment at least)

One.) I come across a healthy amount of incredible resources each day because of my scope of work, but I rarely have time (or the energy to be totally honest) to read them during the workweek. So I typically save them all in an email or google doc and bookmark them, then I can enjoy on quiet Friday nights in or calm weekend mornings. Trust me, this ritual of catching up on articles/things that are swirling around in my mind while enjoying a warm cup of tea, coffee, mimosas or wine (depending on the time of day) is so freaking restorative for my mental health. I'm always in this internal battle to slow down while also wanting to get more done, so taking at least 30 minutes to an hour each weekend to explore random stuff that piques my interest is such a game-changer for my well-being. 

Here are a few things that have been on my radar lately

• How amazing is this cute Christmas gift! It would be the perfect goody/place setting gift for a safe Thanksgiving dinner gathering. I got the idea from The Fashion Magie + love that this ATL company employs Haitian women and pays them a higher wage!! YAAASS let's do more good 
• I've been wanting to try The Pilates Class for a while - but it's been insanely hard to get myself to consistently workout - then I did a virtual class on Thursday before my workday, and hello motivation!! I feel so much more motivated to get work done now and to show up for myself - I tell myself only 15 mins a day so I don’t feel overwhelmed.
• Doing this 30-day social media gratitude challenge is puts a smile on my face. I'm not actually following the prompt, but it's helpful when I'm stuck in a rut
• I want to focus on romanticizing life like Krista talks about in this post!
• This article about pivoting and this article about having an identity crisis in 2020 are basically like comfort food - such good reminders of why staying flexible and why not knowing what the fuck we are doing all the time is totally fine.
• Oop - are we all making this mistake that hurts our blatter? I know, not a sexy topic but our pelvic floor is hella important to take care of
• I have been feeling soooo burned out in so many areas of my life, so I need all the advice about burnout I can freaking get lol

Two.) I have a virtual therapy session scheduled for this Saturday morning!! Ah, I'm so proud of myself. I have been wanting to go back to therapy for a few months, but I also wanted to save money, so I told myself I could hold off on the therapy for a while. Fast-forward to election week, and I FREAKED THE FUCK OUT. I became a literal hot ass mess - like I'm talking multiple panic attacks, overdrinking like crazy, no sleep, and spending waaayyy too much money - aka touching my savings (anxiety spending is REAL). So, I threw myself back into cognitive behavioral therapy. When I get me shit together, it's over for all you bitches - lmao.  

Three.) I'm dedicating time to writing and working on my digital platform. I've been somewhat upset with myself because I have rarely had the energy to dedicate to building the brand I want to build. I'm trying to be gentle with myself because, well, fucking pandemic and election year - enough said, right. But sitting down tonight to write this post has already made me feel so energized and fulfilled. I know this probably sounds nerdy to some people, but writing is insanely therapeutic for me. 

Four.) Having a chicken nugget and wine night at my place with 3 of my closest friends. Having a night in with the 3 people I've been in a bubble with this year (I was quarantined in a condo with 2 of these three people for 3 months so they have become my extended family). There's something so satisfying about just chilling on the couch, saving money, and watching trash tv with your closest friends. And we feel a little bit more socially responsible because we are staying in our little bubble instead of going out into the city and being around strangers - even if those strangers are 6 ft apart. 

And Five.) Planning for the holiday season early!! This year has been shit. I need all the cheer and romanticism I can get. Therefore, holiday movies, holiday music, and holiday treats start TODAY! I'm embracing Thanksgiving and Christmas on a whole new level this year. I will find little moments of joy each freaking day. And most importantly, I really want to amp up my charitable initiatives this season. So many people are hurting, and most of those people tend to be single moms of color. I've always had a soft spot for single moms because I think they are the strongest people on the planet. But thinking about women navigating finances and raising a child in a pandemic and recession seriously breaks my heart. So I'll be sharing jolly ways to spread joy over the next few weeks. Putting a smile on someone else's face is the best escape there is. 

What's on your weekend bucket list? II'd love to hear below. Wishing you a relaxing and fulfilling weekend.