I was on such a roll with blogging than once again I dropped the ball. However, this time I'm picking it right back up and jumping in where I left off.
Life... the last time I blogged was coming out of the Thanksgiving holiday. Now, we're heading into New Year's. While I'm super bummed I didn't share gift guides, holiday recipes, and my holiday traditions this year on the blog, I'm also super happy that I spent my time present with family, CJ, and friends. This year's holiday season was a whirlwind to say the least with work + travel, holiday parties, catching up with old friends, shopping, and a new addition to my little family... (yes you read that right!).
It's been chaotic, but it's been fun. But I'm looking forward to taking this blog out of pilot mode and giving it a full revamp, consistent content schedule, and even a legitimate domain! Blogging is definitely a personal priority of mine heading in 2019.
But before we begin... let me catch you up on some things:
Health & Wellness
For the last month, I have been trying something new for fitness/working out. I got targeted with a P.Volve ad during their Black Friday sale and decided to purchase some equipment and give it a try. While I do have a gym in my apartment building (like literally down just one flight of stairs), there's still something really nice about being able to stream workouts from your bedroom or kitchen. P's workouts are different than anything I've ever done before but they're low intensity and actually enjoyable. I've been doing the 30 day program and have just 2 days left. This is the first time I've ever finished an entire workout program so that's saying something! I'll be sure to post more about P.Volve and the results I've seen from the 30 Day Evolution program.
Christmas
Christmas was great. It's always my favorite time of year. CJ & I got our first tree together. We got a real tree which was amazing except now I'm currently looking at a dead tree and there are pine needles all over my apartment. I spent Christmas Eve with my dad and CJ's family and then headed on over to my mom's house Christmas Day.
Favorite gifts? Ugg gloves (so needed, it is FREEZING here), AirPods (commuter's best friend), Sorrel boots (also needed) and this amazing cape/poncho/blanket scarf that CJ got me (I am OBSESSED with big cozy things).
Since I didn't get to do a gift guide... favorite gifts I gave:
Sister: Vegan leather pouch. My sister is a dedicated vegan so she LOVED it and I will admit the pouch was super cute. (what is vegan leather, I do not know? Seems like a fancy way of saying fake leather to me but it was a hit).
CJ: Celtics tickets! It's a gift we'll both be able to enjoy next week! I love experience gifts because it allows you to create memories too!
Mom: Professional blow dryer. I always bought cheap blow dryers from Target and didn't understand why anyone would need a professional grade one. I invested in a Babyless about a year ago and let me say there is no way I could ever turn back. It has changed my life! I used to dread drying my hair but now I actually look forward to it. I have super thick hair and it used to take me forever; now it's a 5-10 minute job depending on how serious of a blow out I'm trying to give myself. So wanted to share this finding with my mom as she doesn't listen to rules and washes and drys her hair every. single. day.
CJ's Birthday
CJ turned 26 on the 27th. Thinking back to when we met, I realize how quickly time flies! When I met CJ, he had just turned 21 (I was just 18 eek!) we didn't start "talking" or dating until years later but to me five years is such a long time!
We went to Kings in the Seaport to celebrate. Neither of us had ever been to a Kings location so wanted to see what it was all about. The bowling kinda sucked because it was also a school vacation week and there were kids in the lane next to us with parents that did not care that they were coming into our lane and dancing and like eleven of them on the floor at the time but the arcade was super fun and the food was surprisingly really tasty!
PUPPY!
So.. last but not least... the new addition! Any one who knows me knows that I am through and through a dog person. While I love our kitty, I grew up loving dogs and was lucky enough to convince my parents to get me my first dog when I was 8. I've had 3 Labrador retrievers over the years and have been longing for a dog of my own here in Boston. The kitty is still fun and great but dogs are just so different - so why not have the best of both worlds?
I have been telling CJ for quite some time that I wanted a dog and when he told me that he almost bought me a puppy for Christmas but didn't, I figured why not just pull the trigger and find one? So.. here is Malcolm! We got Malcolm last Friday from a breeder in Pennsylvania. He is a 4 month old Mini Australian Shepherd and probably the most beautiful and intelligent dog I have ever seen. I'm so excited to have him here (the kitty is less excited but she's learning to coexist) and CJ and I are having a fun time with our furry little friends. Malcolm is loving his new home, his kitty (even though she doesn't love him right now), going for walks in Marina Bay, and all of the dogs in our building. He love snuggling and playing fetch and has more energy than I knew a dog could ever have.
I will definitely be posting more about Malcolm so this is just a brief introduction :).