16 goals for 2016 - post-grad life: month 7

Nothing says "Happy New Year" like a brand new planner! I like to put myself in the category of being ultra-organized, and an awesome new agenda helps me be just that. It usually takes me a while to find the perfect planner, because I am very particular about where I write, but I was so glad to happen upon this one by Gallery Leather from Bar Harbor, Maine.

Something I have learned in 2015, especially by joining the real world after graduation, is that having goals for everything I do can really help me with staying organized, being productive and moving forward, whether that be for a project at work, a set of blog posts, or even just daily tasks.

I have never been good at making and keeping New Year's resolutions, but I wanted to at least try to set some goals for the upcoming year to make it a great one!

So here are 16 goals for 2016:

1. Blog more frequently
2. Run a half marathon (and train for it)
3. Create more
4. Follow God's path
5. Drink more water

my week in objects (mostly).

This week's post is different than most (and also belated) as I've been on the road due to the holidays! I'm spending some quality time with family in Washington, D.C. and it has been absolutely wonderful!

So here are five little things that made my week: 

1. this selfie. 

(because I love getting to hang with my cousin, Galla, who keeps me young.)

2. this displaced window.

Easy (and adorable) Christmas shortbread cookies

I haven't had much experience with baking (other than box baking) in my 22 years of life, but I've always been creative and interested in making little masterpieces that I can eat. Working in an office environment gave me the perfect excuse to make something simple but special (and most importantly, edible) holiday gift for the people that I work with.

When looking for a recipe to try, I turn first to Pinterest. I'm always interested in trying new things in my tiny apartment kitchen. I remembered that I had pinned a recipe for lavender shortbread cookies a while back, and decided to look for a way to make the recipe a bit more Christmas-y.

Cranberries were the key!

I decided to add in some dried cranberries to make my batch a bit more festive.

Conscious gift wrapping

I love giving gifts during the Christmas season... searching for and picking out a thoughtful gift for someone you love is a great time for reflection on what he or she means to you. It is also really great to see the look of excitement and gratitude on the receiver's face, especially when it affirms that you've found the perfect gift.

What I don't love about Christmas are the millions of pounds of trash that this season creates... think about it: People spend money on rolls upon rolls of silly, brightly colored wrapping paper, gift bags and tissue paper that are probably just going to be crumpled up and thrown out. I grew up re-using the bags and paper from the gifts that were given to me... but I've realized that the thought doesn't occur to everyone...

This holiday season, you have the chance to make conscious decisions about how you wrap your gifts for your loved ones... your choices could have effects on you, your loved ones, your bank account and the environment!

So here are some alternatives to your traditional gift-wrappings:

1. Don't wrap them!

You heard me. This works especially well when giving gifts to someone one-on-one, since you can just hold it behind your back or pull it out of your bag. In my opinion, not much is lost without wrapping, especially when gifting to adults.

2. Up-cycle

I've become a bit of a hoarder in the past few months... ask my roommate! She'll tell you that every brown paper grocery bag, paper packaging, or gift bag that either of us have brought home has been stashed under my bed, waiting to be resurrected this holiday season.

my week in objects (Christmas edition):

It is my first holiday season with my own apartment, and my roommate and I decided to throw our first Christmas party with a group of our friends. Of course, we waited until the last moment to decorate, and with our limited funds due to post grad life, we decided to hit up our favorite local thrift shop to see what we could find.

Though we did not buy a Christmas tree, we ended up finding everything we needed to give a festive touch to our quaint little apartment! This includes stockings, garland, a nativity scene and so much more. The best part of our trip was knowing that all the funds spent at our local thrift shop are used to benefit programs for community members in need. What a way to celebrate the season of giving!

We also visited our local orchard market for fresh produce and apple cider. Our party featured holiday attire, a unique Christmas playlist by one of our enthusiastic friends, yankee swap, catching up, and lots of laughter. A great time was had by all!

So here are five little festive things that made my week:

 1. this decorative pine-cone.

(because we have this in our doorway instead of mistletoe, and I prefer it anyway.)

2. these Christmas mugs.

(because what is cuter than having matching roommate mugs to drink your morning latte in?)

my week in objects (mostly):

five little things that made my week

1. this festive vest.

(for filling my "holiday attire" requirement at Christmas parties.)

2. this save the date from a gorgeous couple.

A bucket list of my own

It is pretty common to have a list of things that you want to do before you die, right? Well, I have a confession to make... I have never really had a bucket list of my own. I have only ever shared a bucket list with a friend, a group (my senior class), or a significant other, etc. It seems as though most of the things I hope to do in the future, I want to share with people I love very much.

But there are also things that I want to do on my own, for myself... so why not have a bucket list with all the random things that I want to do someday? I hope to add and cross things off this list as time goes on! It will always be a work in progress.

I have never taken the time to write down the things that I want to do, but it just so happens that I was able to do something this past weekend that I can now cross off my bucket list! I had signed up for a 10 mile "mountain run" about two months ago, in the hopes that it would give me something to work towards while I was recovering from a dark time. Well, let's just say that post-grad life is a different kind of busy than college life, but busy nonetheless... I did not train as much as I wanted to for this race, and I was very very close to chickening out, especially since I had to work an event just hours after the race would finish. I knew I would be sore and worn out, but I also knew that I would feel proud and accomplished if I did decide to run.

my week in objects (mostly):

Five little things that made my week:

1. this cozy scarf.

(for being a welcomed, $4 surprise at the thrift shop.)

2. these Indian sweets.

(because they were still delicious even though they were crushed in my backpack on the flight back to MD.)

Why you should go - Post grad life: Month 6

This past month, the world was shaken by the tragedy of the attacks in Paris, a rapidly growing refugee crisis, and even more violence on the streets of our own hometowns, among other issues. Seeing these events on the news is scary, and can make it difficult to even leave our house in the morning. They can also make us think twice about booking trips to those amazing places that our heart yearns for: dream vacations, numbered points on our bucket lists, ancestral roots, cities filled with history, etc.

Tragedies like the terrorist attacks in Paris can happen anywhere at any time, and there is no way to ensure that we avoid them completely, even if we never leave our hometown again. Events like this are meant to scare us; They're meant to make us think twice about being in crowded places and big cities... but we cannot afford to live our lives in fear. We must continue to live fully and boldly. The only things we can do are to stay vigilant, be smart, and enjoy the time we have been given to explore, learn, and grow. I believe that the best way to do this is to see as much of the world as we can and take in every new experience with an open mind.

If you have followed along with my blog, you will know that I am a huge proponent of travel, whether it be a daytrip to a new town, a hike to new heights, a trip across the country, or a move to a new hemisphere. You will never regret or forget the things that you learned about the world or about yourself while traveling. 

Travel empowers us. It has the power to take us out of our element, show us another perspective, and gives us the opportunity to adapt and grow. Whether we crumble or thrive in this new environment and new experience is up to us, but I promise that you will come out of every trip with greater knowledge and appreciation of the world we live in. Go see it for yourself.