My Absolute Favorite Autumn Activities (+ A Cute October Bucket List!)

My birthday is October 20, so it’s safe to say that my birthday always has memories of Autumn activities: pumpkin patches, hay rides, carving pumpkins, making costumes… you name it, I probably did it on my birthday! I love pumpkin pie, apples, popcorn balls, and anything cinnamon spiced; I never pass up an opportunity to go to a pumpkin patch. 

I’m a certified Fall Baby. 

For this reason, I always have an Autumn bucket list that I like to turn to. This year, I decided to separate it into two months: October and November. These are two distinct lists dedicated, really, to my two absolute favorite holidays. What’s my October Bucket list? Keep reading!

…But first, let’s talk about my top 3 favorite Autumn activities. 

1. Picking out pumpkins.

The time for pumpkin patches is so short, I really like to get my fill as early as possible—mostly to avoid having to tromp through a muddy field! By mid-October in Oregon, the rains have usually set in, which means pumpkin patches can be a bit of a mess. I like to go early and find the perfect few pumpkins (I always get a large, round pumpkin, a smaller round pumpkin, and then a “funky” shaped pumpkin—just because I worry no one wants those ones and they deserve love too!), then spend future visits just taking photos and walking through the farm stands. 

2. Making my first batch of October cookies. 

What is it about baking that’s…different in October? My favorites cookie recipes in October are my super soft ginger cookies or s’mores cookies (you read that right). And while I make these outside of Autumn, they just taste different when it’s a little bit cloudy out and a little bit cooler. 

3. Collecting leaves. 

I always press a few leaves into my journal in the Fall—usually if I find any vibrant red or orange ones, I like those best, but I also don’t mind the more common yellow leaves. I make it my mission every year to find a larger variety of shapes and color variations, then I press them in my encyclopedia and paste them in my journal. This is something I look forward to all year long. 

Want a copy of my bucket post? Just click the image to download it!

Getting Back on Track

In my newsletter a few weeks ago, I wrote about how I'd been having really bad anxiety lately caused by a mix of macro and micro issues. For me, macro issues are global: things are happening every single day that just feel, well, bad, and it can be very scary. Micro issues are personal, individual, smaller issues that give me anxiety. The macro puts me in an anxious mood; the micro issues push me over the edge. So that when I freak out about a bunch of bugs in my living room that I need to vacuum up despite being terrified of bugs, I'm actually freaking out about the threat of nuclear war. 

For that reason, my blog, my Instagram, and my newsletter have been kind of all over the place. I tell myself that, for the sake of my mental health, I need to take a break. So I do. Then I feel bad about not blogging, about not writing my newsletter on Friday evening so it can send on Saturday, about not scheduling a blog post all week despite having a very clear editorial calendar set up. 

Then I get more anxious about it. And thus, the cycle continues. 

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I love blogging; I love that it gives me something to do that isn't horribly high-pressured outside of my day job. I can experiment with methods here that I can use in my day job. I like having a sense of purpose in everything I do and blogging gives me something to do in my downtime. But I know I can take it a little too seriously. Almost too seriously. 

I get very overwhelmed very easily, despite the fact that I seem to always be looking for something new to take on! I've let myself get too overwhelmed because I try to stay up to date on everything: politics, blogging, what's happening in content marketing. It does not help that I often spend evenings working for my day job, doing tasks for social media and more in the time between when my son goes to bed and I do. 

So what's a girl to do? 

As I've written before, I know I need to work on forgiving myself. I know I live a relatively easy life and, for that reason, I often feel like I can never slack off because I need to earn what I have. As well, I know I need to be easier on myself when it comes to finishing things; it doesn't have to be perfect and my version of success doesn't have to be others versions of success. I don't want to be a blogging phenom; it's hard when the measure of success in the blogging community is a certain level. But realistically, I don't want hundreds of thousands of people reading my blog or emailing me! 

A few months ago, I was doing a great job reducing my anxiety through working out, giving myself real time where I didn't do anything, and saying "no" to new tasks. I know I need to take that on again, so this is a way to hold myself accountable. If you're struggling right now too, I hope you join me. 

My Favorite Weekly Bullet Journal Layout

I've been bullet journaling for about two years now. I primarily use it for work, but at home, I use a bullet journal to do my daily journals. I find it's a lot less intimidating to simply write notes in a little box, as opposed to looking at an entire blank page. I use the space to also write my focus for the week (like reducing my anxiety or forgiving myself for making mistakes), as well as goals and track my work outs. 

Above, you can see my absolute favorite weekly layout. I don't like a ton of decoration, but I do use my embarrassingly large washi tape collection to make things a little pretty. It's neat and orderly and I have just enough space in each box to write important tasks and appointments, as well as to write my evening notes. On Sundays, I write a longer journal entry where I reflect on my week, what went wrong, what went right, and what I can do different next week. Then I make my next weeks layout with a specific focus on an eye on the past week. 

I wanted to share what my weekly layout looks like in my bullet journal for a few reasons: 

1. Bullet journaling can seem really intimidating when you see the amazing art pieces some people do in theirs! But realistically, I don't think you have to go crazy in a bullet journal. 
    
2. It's nice to see how someone realistically uses a bullet journal. I'm never going to get track of all my habits, my savings, my budget in a notebook. That's just not how my brain works! But I do try to keep a journal so that I can remember when things happen and my son can have a record of what life was like with him as a toddler. 

I keep my Pinterest journals board updated with interesting bujo layouts. You can check it out here. I'm always making little tweaks to my weekly layout--like changing up fonts, color schemes, and more--but I think picking one you like and sticking with it is the best way to figure out what works, so you can better use your bullet journal. 

How to Make Your Summer Better (Even if You Hate Summer)

I know, I know. Everyone is supposed to love summer. It's sunny! It's warm! There are barbecues and pool parties and everything! Sorry, I'm not buying it. When was the last time I was invited to a pool party? That's right--never, because I don't live in an area where in-ground pools are common.

Summer is classified as "fine" in my book. I don't like it, but I don't really hate it. It's nice that my husband gets the summer off; it's nice that the weather is nicer and we can go outside (minus the horde of horrible bugs that plagues us). Those things are nice. 

That being said, summer can be better. I recently posted a thread of ways to make your summer better, right now. This thread was for if you have anxiety, if you feel bored, if you feel like you just aren't doing the right "summer things." 

When I was younger, I definitely always felt like I was "wasting" my summers. (Looking back, I was. So many summers off!) Summers are about living it up, right? And what do you do if you hate summer and you feel insecure about your hatred of summer? Here's the original thread if you want to check it out. However, it can broken down to three key steps. 

1. Wear your sunscreen. 

Do you feel like I harp on about this? It's because it's serious. On a podcast I listen to (All Killa, No Filla, if you're interested), one of the hosts said she goes tanning once a year; her doctor told her, straight up, she's giving herself cancer. And that's the truth: laying out; getting sunburned without worrying about it; and getting sun damage is giving yourself cancer. Don't do it! Also, sunburns hurt. Here are my tips for protecting that beautiful epidermis of yours. 

2. Wear what you want.  

Whatever! Going to a pool party (you lucky dog, you)? Wear the bikini. Feeling stressed about it? Does the thought of putting on that bikini make you feel stressed? Then don't. Don't wear the bikini. Wear a cute maxi dress instead. Or your favorite leggings. Or sweatpants! Wear what makes you feel comfortable and confident. If anyone asks, just say, "It's really none of your business."

3. Eat what you want.

So you took my advice on Twitter and went on a spontaneous trip. You find yourself staring down a slice of pizza, or a massive ice cream cone. You think about those goals you set for yourself: eating less dairy; making healthier choices. Your mouth is watering just looking at the ice cream. 

Girl, do it. Eat the ice cream. Eat the pizza. Eat a big, beautiful healthy salad tomorrow. Enjoy a smoothie in the morning. Chow down on nachos when offered. Life is too short to spend it trying to dictate what you enjoy every moment of the day. Moderation is important. 

10 Years Later: High School

A few weeks ago, in my newsletter, I wrote about how my 10 year high school reunion was coming up. Can you believe that? I find it hard to believe that I graduated 10 years ago--and of course, that means I graduated from college 6 years ago. 

I feel very old saying, "I blinked and it was gone." In many ways, I still feel very young. But some days, like when my knees hurt or I'm so tired I let my son watch his Elmo DVD for the fifth time and lie on the couch, I feel positively ancient. 

This all got me thinking though: what really has changed about me in those 10 years? 

• I went blonde. 
• I got a pixie cut. 
• I dyed my hair red about 100 times. 
• I grew my hair out. 
• I cut it short again. Repeat 4 times. 
• I gained weight. 
• I lost weight. 
• I gained weight again. 
• I started a fashion blog. 
• I quit my fashion blog. 
• I started a lifestyle blog. 
• I quit that lifestyle blog. 
• I started this blog. 
• I started Twitter. 
• I joined Instagram. 
• Pinterest happened. 
• I started dating Danny. 
• I got engaged to Danny. 
• I married Danny. 
• I had a baby. 
• I got a bunch of jobs. 
• I quit a bunch of jobs. 
• I did way more internships that I ever thought would be necessary. 
• I quit a lot of internships, too. 
• I worked a lot of early mornings in coffee shops. 
• I spent hours and hours and hours reading about blogging. 
• I got a job I love. 
• I made a lot of friends through blogging. 
• Made a lot of creepy enemies too! 

And that's all I can think of just off the top of my head. And that's just the things I've done. 

It's hard to always make a list of the ways I've changed over the years. I sometimes feel like I am still that 18-year-old girl, but I also know that she and I are two very different people. I think she'd be really disappointed by where I am--and also a little relieved that I'm not an absolute failure. I'd love to tell her how great the next 5 years will be for her, and really, that makes up for the 3 years that follow that time span ("the bad times"). I wish I could tell my high school self that things will be ok, I don't need to develop the Type A personality I currently have, and that it's ok to relax, and have fun, and you don't have to work 100% of the time all the time. 

What have you learned since graduating high school? 

5 More Podcasts I Love

Podcasts are something I never thought I would get really into, but surprise! I am. I started with Serial and then just started downloading true crime podcasts until I found ones I love. As time goes on, I’m not listening to every true crime podcast anymore (I can only handle so much) and have started to expand my horizons to other podcasts, like history and comedy. 

Here are 5 new favorite podcasts I’ve been listening to lately. 

1. Natch Beaut

Natch Beaut is a beauty podcast hosted by Jackie Johnson. Originally, I heard about Natch Beaut through My Favorite Murder: a commercial ran before an episode once and I was so annoyed by it, I actually skipped it. Fast forward a few weeks and I decided to not be a jerk and actually listen to the podcast. 

And guess what, friends? I really liked it. Jackie is not everyone’s cup of tea, but you know what? I love tea. She’s honest and loud and effervescent. I’m a proud member of the two hundy and I will not be quieted! Listen and fall in love today if you love honest conversations about cruelty in make up, skincare, the deception of the beauty industry, and more. 

2. Wine & Crime

I’m such a creep and I wish I was a member of this friend group: Wine & Crime is hosted by three childhood friends who are spread across the literal world now. They drink wine, get drunk, and talk about a true crime topic every week. They are irreverent and equal opportunity offenders of all humans. Holy Credonia, drop everything and go listen immediately. One time, I was listening to an episode while on a three hour drive and I started laughing so hard I had to pull over. 

3. You Must Remember This

Aside from some issues with their language use (they continue to use the words “hooker” and “prostitute” instead of "sex worker"), I love this podcast: You Must Remember This is a podcast that covers the history of Hollywood, in all its forms. From Charles Manson and those famous murders to legions of dead blondes, they’ve covered everything. I started with the Charles Manson season, then moved on to Dead Blondes. Now, I’m listening to the season the Black List during the McCarthy era. It’s interesting, well-written, and really fun. I listened to two seasons while driving back and forth to Southern California. 

4. Casefile

Do you love the dulcet tones of an Australian accent? Then you’ll love this podcast. Casefile is hosted by Anonymous, an Australian man with an accent that I can only describe as “honey on bread.” I call him Casey, but that’s a personal choice. He covers lots of Australian true crime stories that I’ve never heard about. My favorite episodes are his series on the East Area Rapist and the most recent episode (Case 54) on Daniel Morcombe. 

5. The Dollop

The Dollop is an American history podcast hosted by two comedians: one knows everything about the topic and one doesn’t. Basically, one tells a story and the other reacts. Hilarity ensues. My favorite episodes are 200 (Otto in the Attic), 210 (the New Jersey Shark Attacks), and 56 (Newport Sex Scandal). I listened to episodes 200 and 210 when I was on vacation once and my husband legitimately thought I was scream crying in our room; I was actually just laughing so hard I had started crying a little bit. They’re that funny. Perfect entertainment for right before bed and perfect for listening to with friends or your partner. 

5 Tips for Staying Cool This Summer

Recently on Twitter, I started a thread about staying cool in the summer when you don’t have air conditioning (or don’t feel like you can afford to run your A/C all the time).

Back in 2010, I lived in an apartment in Caldwell, Idaho. That summer, from late June until roughly October, it was over 100 every single day. Seriously. Over 100. I had a rickety air conditioning unit in my apartment, but I was terrified of using it. I did so occasionally in the evenings, but never for more than an hour. The rest of the time, I found creative ways to stay cool. I shared abbreviated versions of these in my Twitter thread here.

I thought I’d expand on my tips to better help my fellow college students or recent graduates out there. But I do want to share a disclaimer: if it is legitimately hot in your area of the world and the temperatures inside your home or apartment are reaching dangerously high, just turn on the A/C. It’s truly not worth damaging to health to avoid a bill. Local social services offices can and will help pay high energy bills. 

That being said, here are a few tips for beating the heat and avoiding the A/C. 

1. Make sure all your windows are covered. 

I ended up buying black out window coverings back in 2010; they now hang in my son’s room, conveniently. But at the time, I bought them because they help weatherproof your home: they keep out both the brightest rays of the sun and keep out the cold in the winter. It’s a win-win. As much as I love having open windows, having black out curtains is the first step to keeping your house cool. 

2. Make sure you weather proof. 

In my older apartment, there were some major gaps in the door frames. I mean, major. I could hear every car that went by, every conversation of people walking on the sidewalk. Seriously. I bought a roll of weatherproofing strip at Home Depot for around $8 and added it to my doorframe. This helps keep hot air out and the cooler air inside. It’s also great for the winter because, of course, it keeps cool air out. 

3. Hang up wet towels. 

This is going to sound bizarre, but stick with me: when you hang up wet towels to air dry, the air around them cools. Seriously, there are articles about this. I frequently did this in my apartment and aimed fans at them. And, really, it worked. 

4. Get the hot air out. 

Whenever I got home from work, back in the day, my apartment would be the worst. Because I wasn’t home, it was stagnant and super hot. I would aim one fan out my kitchen window (the side where the sun always hit and it was the hottest) and one fan in my bedroom window (the shady side of the house): this created a cross breeze through the apartment, bringing in the air from the shady side and pushing out the hot air. It worked a charm. 

5. Wear wet socks. 

You might think I’ve gone crazy, but this was truly the best thing I did to cool down back in the day. I would get a pair of socks and get them really wet, then wring them out; then I wore them around the house. Yes, you’ll leave wet foot prints everywhere, but honestly, it was worth it. At night, I would sleep with a fan aimed at my feet (wearing wet socks) and stay super cool the entire night. Don’t believe me? Try it, I promise it will change your life. 

3 Tips for Taking Your Toddler to Disneyland

Hi, I'm Michelle and I kind of royally screwed up a vacation to Disneyland. 

Ok, hear me out: I really thought my toddler would enjoy it. As I wrote in my newsletter over the weekend (oh, you don't get my newsletter? You can sign up here), I made the terrible mistake of assuming that my child was essentially a very small clone of myself and would enjoy everything I do. 

Well, lesson learned: you gotta ease your kid into it. You can't just jump on your favorite ride and think they'll be ok with it. Especially if you already know that your toddler is terrified of loud noises and enclosed spaces like elevators. Oops.

In all fairness to my husband and I, we've never really taken a family vacation before. We just didn't know a lot of things. And this trip gave us a chance to figure out how to make the most of even crappy situations. Midway through the second day, I wanted to cry; I felt like I wasn't having fun, like Forrest wasn't having fun. I felt really bummed. Instead of giving in and just calling it a bust and not trying, my husband and I talked it out: we came up with a plan to make our last day in the parks as fun as possible. And you know what? It worked. We really hit our stride. 

So, that's a really long way of saying: we made mistakes; we learned from them; we learned how to have fun regardless. 

This week, I'll also be posting my packing list dos and don'ts, so I won't be mentioning any tips relating to packing in this post. These, however, are my tips for making Disneyland a fun trip--something my husband and I didn't figure out until our last day (which really did redeem the whole trip). 

1. Adjust your expectations.

First and foremost, a toddler cannot and will not experience Disneyland the same way a child, teenager, or even adult does.  Toddlers, especially young toddlers, aren't great at drawing the line between reality and fake yet. To them, a lot of things seem "real" because they don't know any better. So when I took my son on Pirates of the Caribbean, he thought it was real. And terrifying. Can you imagine? 

Toddlers aren't going to want to ride the big thrill rides, or anything extremely dark and loud. To start, stick with the classics: the carousel, It's a Small World, and the Dumbo ride are great. If your toddler is apprehensive, pick a ride they can watch for a while to get a feel for what's going to happen. Also, take advantage of shops, walkthroughs, and character meets. They'll have much more fun with those than most rides. 

2. Download the Disneyland app. 

This really was a lifesaver in the park. The Disneyland app is a place where you can buy and link your tickets and Fast Passes, link your Photopass for character meet and greets, and get a list of waiting times for rides, meet and greets, and restaurants. Seriously. It was great for planning which area to go to next to maximize our time. It's also how we ended up meeting Tinkerbell with zero planning and zero line; we were the first people there! 

3. Establish a good routine.

The maximum amount of time Forrest (age 22 months) could handle in the park was... about 2.5 hours. Yeah, that's it. We got to the parks at 7:30, got in the gates at 8:00, and by 10, he was usually ready for a nap. We would walk back to our room, get him down for a nap, and then go to lunch. We would go back to the park from around 1pm to 3pm, then back to the room again for him to have some chill time: a movie, dinner, and milk, then bedtime at 5:30pm. 

After that, our other family members would stay in the condo with Forrest while Danny and I enjoyed the parks. It was a perfect situation. We got time with our son in the parks and then time with just each other. This won't always be possible for us, but it worked this time. And, hopefully, you'll find a routine that works with you too. You know your child best and you know your child's routine--and for the best vacations, honestly, that should be maintained as much as possible to prevent tantrums.