My 2019 Happiness Project

December 31, 2018February 3, 20195 Comments

Can you believe 2019 is only a few hours away? This year really flew by, but I’m excited to let go of 2018 and bring on the adventures of the new year.

2018 came with its share of challenges, and as the year comes to a close, I’ll admit that I’m ready for an attitude adjustment. Throughout the year, my health and happiness took a backseat to graduate school, a busier-than-ever workload, and other areas of overwhelm. Because of that, I decided to tackle things head-on by embarking on a 2019 Happiness Project, inspired by one of my favorite books by Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project. In her book, Gretchen incorporates various happiness principles and research into her life over the course of a year, experimenting with a different happiness theme each month.

For 2019, I’ve created my own happiness project, focusing on improving various areas of my health and overall wellness in the new year. Each month, I’ll share what I’m working on and how things went down in the previous month!

My 2019 Happiness Project | Wellness & Wanderlust

Below are my areas of focus for 2019. Some of these are inspired by Gretchen’s book, while others come from different books, podcasts, and goals I’d like to pursue.

January: Boost Physical Wellness (More on that in a minute!)
February: Create Outer Order / Organize
March: Practice Mindfulness
April: Slow Down & Lighten Up
May: Make Time For Friends
June: Learn Constantly
July: Incorporate Ayurvedic Practices
August: Digital Detox
September: Work Smarter
October: Contemplate the Heavens / Spirituality
November: Explore
December: Give Back

The reason I’m focusing on boosting physical wellness in January is because I am truly ready for a detox. Between autoimmune issues and a hectic schedule, I need an increase in energy and overall health before I can take on any new challenges. To do so, I’ll be incorporating the following practices into the month of January:

Embark on a Whole30 to create more intentionality in my food choices and identify any new food sensitivities.
Go to sleep earlier.
Take a 10-minute walk each day.
Act more energetic.
Tackle the “nagging tasks” on my list.

If you’re looking to make a change, I highly encourage you to pursue your own happiness project! Check out Gretchen’s site here for some helpful resources, including a “resolution chart” that can be useful for tracking your progress along the way. I can’t wait to share more with you all through the year! 🙂

Are you tackling a happiness project or any resolutions this year? Share yours in the comments below!

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small compensation.

Link Love Wednesday: David Beckham and Old Hollywood

November 19, 2015Leave a comment

Good evening and happy Friday to all of my lovely readers! I hope everyone is having a wonderful month of November and getting excited for Thanksgiving next week. 🙂 I’m fighting a sinus infection, but I’ve still had my share of adventures lately — some community service projects, a local jazz festival, and even a couple of items crossed off of my bucket list! What have you been up to?

As always, enjoy this week’s roundup of link love, and share your own favorites in the comments below!

I’m a big fan of all things Old Hollywood, so naturally I loved this mashup that pairs Uptown Funk with real choreography from Hollywood’s golden age. There’s nothing quite like watching Fred Astaire dancing to Bruno Mars! (Plus, this video is ridiculously well-timed.)
David Beckham was named People‘s Sexiest Man Alive. I previously predicted Chris Pratt as the winner for 2015, but I’m certainly not complaining.
I loved this Thought Catalog essay on the importance of consciously choosing the person you’re with throughout the relationship.
Frida Kahlo is one of my favorite artists. I loved looking through her wardrobe and am especially fond of those sunglasses!
This will always be my all-time favorite breakup song.
Recently I ventured out to the Central Florida Zoo with some friends and wrote this fun little recap of my experience!
I am loving the new Barbie commercial that encourages little girls to be anything they want to be. The commercial is adorable and has an empowering message, which is great PR for Mattel!
These animals seem to know exactly what you’re thinking.
In case you missed it, check out my healthier veggie-loaded hash brown recipe!
Teens and twenty-somethings are creating secondary fake Instagram pages, or “Finstagrams,” where they post the less flattering (and ironically, more “real”) parts of their lives for a small number of followers. What are your thoughts on this Finstagram trend?
My latest guest article for Career Camel focuses on that all-important work/life balance.

Things I’m Loving Lately

Charade, starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant.
Being reposted on the @Whole30 Instagram page. 🙂
This artichoke lemon pesto chicken from PaleOMG.
The Mayo Clinic Handbook for Happiness. (Shh, don’t tell my parents I’m reading it – they will be way too excited!)

What links are you loving lately? Share your favorites in the comments section below!

Link Love Wednesday: Disney Princes and Venus Retrograde

August 5, 2015Leave a comment

Well hello there, Prince Charming…

Happy August, readers! I graduated from college two years ago, but I still get that same lump in my throat when August rolls around… It’s almost back-to-school time! Thankfully, I won’t be juggling work and classes this time around (although next August may be another story!), but this time of the year is still a hectic one for me. I’m happy to have a few more slightly relaxing weeks before things get crazy here!

How are you spending your last few weeks of summer? I’d love to hear about it in the comments! In the meantime, check out the latest batch of Link Love, and feel free to share your own favorites. 🙂

I’m normally not a fan of the whole “realistic Disney characters” movement taking over social media, but I absolutely adore these artistic renderings of the Disney princes in real life. I’m torn between Eric and Prince Charming!
What does your Disney prince crush say about you? (I’m not sure mine is accurate – I always liked Eric from The Little Mermaid the best, but the description for Prince Philip from Sleeping Beauty seems to be a better fit for what I want in a husband. Still, I think it’s a fun list!)
Venus is currently in retrograde, which means everything in your life related to love and beauty is going to get turned upside down. Plus, your exes are going to start coming out of the woodwork (which is eerily accurate for me so far). Gala Darling has a fun guide for how to survive Venus Retrograde and use this time to your advantage!
Speaking of Venus Retrograde, Astrostyle also shares some tips for getting through this time with your love life intact.
Bustle has a great article on how to make friends as an adult. These tips are definitely worth trying out!
What does your personality type say about your career destiny?
I have a fascination with abandoned amusement parks, so I was amazed by these photo manipulations of an abandoned Walt Disney World. So eerie!
For all of my Orange County, CA readers who like whole, organic foods, you have to check out Model Meals meal delivery service! All of the meals are Whole30 compliant and look amazing. 🙂
Want to wake up with a flatter stomach? Shape.com has some weight loss tips you might not think of!
Before your next interview, review these seven questions that employers will use to determine your emotional intelligence.
These two-ingredient punch recipes look awesome! I can’t wait to test them out on house guests.
Are your office habits making you unhealthy? (Hint: Probably.)
This sneaker exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum sounds awesome!

What are your favorite links from the last week? Share yours in the comments section below!

Link Love Wednesday: Remembering Maya Angelou

May 28, 20141 Comment

“Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.” – Maya Angelou

This morning, I was devastated to learn about the passing of great American author and activist Maya Angelou. I first fell in love with her powerful writing during my sophomore year of college, when we read her poetry in a women’s literature class, and that love soon extended to her other noted work. Maya Angelou was truly an inspiration to so many of us, and I firmly believe that her work will continue to empower women and men alike for years to come.

If you haven’t heard Maya Angelou recite her own poetry, I highly suggest you do so. This reading of Still I Rise will give you the chills!
CBS News collects some of Angelou’s top quotes and tweets.
One more list of Angelou’s wonderfully inspirational quotes, courtesy of ABC News.
If you could speak to your heroes, what advice would they give you? Sarah from Yes and Yes compiles the sage wisdom of some of her own heroines.
On a lighter note, as a resident of Central Florida, I enjoyed this list of the seven deadly sins of theme park visitors!
For my fellow introverts, learn how to communicate effectively in the workplace by turning your introversion into an asset.
People are unnecessarily critical when it comes to the dietary choices and restrictions of others. This was an interesting read on why we are so quick to judge vegetarians and vegans.
Want to create the perfect resumé? Avoid these seven clichés.
One employee’s vacation request was accidentally forwarded to the entire company. Then the entire Internet responded.
I love The Little Mermaid as much as the next 90s kid, but this list of horrible lessons learned from the film is definitely worth a chuckle. (It’s amazing to look back at the gender roles in Disney films as an adult!)
Abercrombie and Fitch has definitely gotten into some hot water over the past few years, but it seems that some changes are finally being made in an effort to resurrect the brand’s image.
Allow this sweet song to brighten your day.

Link Love Wednesday: Ashton Kutcher and Rejection

August 28, 20132 Comments

The past few weeks at work have been completely packed, as we gear up for the fall semester. From a football kickoff luncheon to several all-day tabling events, I’m loving my job but completely ready to unwind with some Link Love. What are some of the fabulous articles and blog posts you’ve been reading lately?

Just recently at the Teen Choice Awards, Ashton Kutcher gave an inspirational acceptance speech about the importance of hard work, generosity and refusing to live “inside the world.” I especially love what he had to say about being sexy.
Of course, if you are into the superficial, these tips on how to look skinnier in photos will definitely be of interest!
BuzzFeed created this fantastic list of mistakes you will definitely make your twenties. I’m not even 23 yet, but I think I’ve already made quite a few of these! What about you?
These are the 10 gut feelings you should never ignore. I think I’ve also ignored several of these in the past, but haven’t we all?
Did high school prepare you for real life? This comic from The Oatmeal will show you exactly what high school should have taught you but probably didn’t! (My favorite is the P.E. strip!)
Whenever I’m going through a rough patch in my life, I love to hear stories of rejection from people who are now successful in their lives and careers, because it inspires me to push through the challenges and keep going. This article on rejection did not disappoint.
When writing about themselves, women in the workforce tend to downplay their skills and accomplishments. Find out how you can best represent yourself in writing!
As someone who took a theme park management class and lives near several of the biggest tourist attractions in the world, I couldn’t resist posting this list of terrible theme park attractions!
Need to improve your productivity? Here are 11 of the places where you could probably improve!

Wellness & Wanderlust

A Lifestyle and Adventure Blog

Tag: work

My 2019 Happiness Project

Link Love Wednesday: Disney Princes and Venus Retrograde

Link Love Wednesday: Ashton Kutcher and Rejection