Dear Blog, I Miss You

Boy, do I miss this thing.

Even though I had only recently started blogging, the absence of this in my life over the past few months has been quite noteworthy. My little corner of the internet gave me real joy.

Admittedly, this blog still doesn't have a distinct identity yet, but figuring it out while I had time to myself to think was cathartic and exciting. I often would find myself daydreaming of things I could post about and the directions I could take my little corner of the internet.

Well now I am back, and it can give me joy again! What good timing too, as joy is something that has been harder for me to find over the past few months. I would like to write about the anxiety I've been experiencing at a later time, but to quickly summarize - I've been struggling with mild depression and anxiety as of late. I never thought I would be someone to experience this, but extreme exhaustion and stress really does take it's toll.

However, I'm much happier now! I'm better at managing my emotions (which gives me more time) to explore new things that make me happy. So if there is anyone out there that reads this - look forward to more of the mixed identity posts about a little bit of everything. Some things that I'm interested in at the moment? A review of House of Cards, updates on current events, my favorite beauty products (I found a ton of new ones), spring transition fashion, new coffee shops/restaurants I love, what I'm reading, and MORE!

Until next time... ;)

Christmas in Columbus

I've been a Columbus native for 21 years now. That means I have had 21 holiday seasons to experience and discover the best activities for Christmas in Columbus. While this is by no means an exhaustive list of every Christmas activity in the city, below are my tried and true favorites.

Here is my mom, my cousin, and myself at the Wildlights. We have a
tradition where we wear crowns each year.

1. Wildlights at the Columbus Zoo. Each year at Christmas the entire zoo is adorned with millions of Christmas lights. It is really neat to stroll the zoo at night, as you can enjoy the splendor of the Christmas displays and see the animals at the same time (especially the nocturnal ones)! I recommend spacing out the indoor exhibits as a way to warm up and getting a tasty cider or hot chocolate for on the go. Don't forget the indoor carousel!
2. BalletMet's The Nutcracker. Each year, BalletMet performs The Nutcracker at the Ohio Theatre. The Nutcracker is a ballet that everyone can enjoy, as the performance is filled with awe inspiring sets, costumes, and tricks. It is truly a visual ballet, so it can be enjoyed just about everywhere in the theater if you want to save on tickets. 
3. Franklin Park Conservatory. The Conservatory during the holidays is beautiful, with gorgeous poinsettia displays, gingerbread houses, and a fairy tale train display. Most weekends have different choirs singing carols and other fun activities. 
4. Christmas shopping at Easton Town Center. While this isn't necessarily a holiday exclusive activity, Easton is really beautiful around the holidays. They have gorgeous Christmas lights and decor around the entire mall and sometimes there are performers in the various plazas. Warning: it will be crowded. But you have to brave the Christmas crowds at least once!
   

*Note: bonus points if you do any of these while wearing an ugly Christmas sweater. I just bought two new ones. Maybe a post on those later? I wish everyone a relaxing, yet fulfilling holiday season.

Holiday season must do activities

December truly ushers in the arrival of the holiday season. Am I crazy in thinking that the difference between November 30th and December 1st is truly magical? Suddenly the sights, sounds, and scents of the holiday season are everywhere. Taking the time to remember all of the lovely things to do around this time of year really gets me in the Christmas spirit. Below are some things to get excited for this month!

• Decorate the tree
• Shop for the perfect gifts
• Wear ugly sweaters
• Burn winter candles
• Drive around and look at Christmas lights
• Sing Christmas carols with friends
• Watch Christmas movies (both the bad and the good)
• Attend holiday parties and gift exchanges
• Wrap presents 
• Greet others with a special holiday smile 
• Bake Christmas cookies

... and so much more! For some reason I am really in the holiday spirit this year and ready to truly savor every part of this month. I know that I am just aching to bring out the ugly Christmas sweaters already! Luckily December is here and the festivities are now beginning. 

Sunday Sitdown

I have a love/hate relationship with Sundays. Sunday evenings, especially, are this strange paradox of relaxation and stress. Sundays always feel slow and lackadaisical, yet there is a sense of panic as Monday as so close. Regardless, I like to take the time to sit down and reflect each Sunday night. What better way to do that than blog?!

Goals for the week:

• Drink more tea 
• Drink less coffee
• Appreciate every day beauty 
• Practice capturing every day beauty
• Take more deep breaths and count to 10 
• Stretch every day 
• Get more sleep 

Another goal is to continue to write in this 5 year question a day style journal every day. I love this because it doesn't take much time, but it allows you to record your year in a unique way. Some questions are simple while others are quite thought provoking. Tonight's question was "Waking up was ________." I said delightful because I woke up next to my lovely boyfriend, but also painful because I had a terrible sore throat. 

With that, I am going to finish up some items and to go to sleep so that I can wake up refreshed and ready to tackle the day! 

Yes, Please

I'm a harsh critic, but I'm knowing for liking things that I say aren't good. That is exactly what happened here with Amy Poehler's recently released memoirs, Yes Please. This book disappointed me a little bit, but I still enjoyed it. I love Amy Poehler, so I think that may have clouded my judgement. I love her so much, that I completed this in 2 days (on top of class, work, student orgs, sorority, etc). The highlights of this book are when she inserts her honest wisdom, sprinkled with her down to earth humor. Below, are my 2 favorite quotes from the book: 

• "It's called yes please because it is the constant struggle and often the right answer. Can we figure out what we want, ask for it, and stop talking? Yes please. Is being vulnerable a power position? Yes please. Am I allowed to take up space? Yes please. Do you want to be left alone? Yes please." 
• "I love saying yes and I love saying please. Saying yes doesn't mean I don't know how to say no, and saying please doesn't mean I am waiting for permission. Yes please sounds powerful and concise. It's a response and a request. It is not about being a good girl; it is about being a real woman." 

Lipstick stain on my coffee kinda gal

 Happy Monday! This Monday morning called for a little caffeine kick from Starbucks. Having a Starbucks in my office building is both a blessing and a curse. 

As strange as it sounds, I've come to love the inevitable lipstick stains on my coffee cup. This morning I realized that I'm just a lipstick stain on my coffee cup kinda gal. All I need to tackle this Monday is a cup of coffee and a tube of lipstick.

Coffee in Columbus - Stauf's Coffee Roasters

I. Love. Coffee. Shops. The environment, the music, the people, the food, and oh yeah... the coffee. I find that I am most productive in coffee shops for everything from doing homework, to writing, to reading, to just figuring my life out. What's more, is that Columbus has been called an underrated city for coffee, having high quality brews all over town. 

I will admit, I'm not too picky of a coffee connoisseur. I'll often choose a flavored latte or add tons of cream and sugar to my coffee. Regardless, because of the frequency with which I visit coffee shops - I think that I have a pretty good say as to what makes a shop itself great. Because of this, I want to start reviewing coffee shops that I visit in a series called "Coffee in Columbus." 

First up is Stauf's Coffee Roasters! I chose this as my spot to catch up on emails and do some writing today because it perfectly encompasses that cozy coffee shop vibe on a rainy day. Settled in the heart of charming Grandview, Stauf's is the perfect spot to post up and get down to work. The crowd here is always friendly, which I find is an underrated characteristic in coffee shops. I love meeting interesting people or scanning the room to look up and find a kind smile! As someone who comes to coffee shops to get work done, I like that they have tons of outlets for people like me that forget to charge their laptops before they come. 

Now if I tell you what I ordered, you have to promise not to cringe... I got an iced pumpkin spice latte (iced because it was kind of warm inside and I had on a big, cozy sweater). It was definitely the best pumpkin spice latte I have ever had! I don't typically order anything pumpkin spice at Starbucks or Crimson Cup because it is so overwhelmingly sweet. This was the perfect combination of a deep espresso flavor and just a hint of syrup that actually tasted pretty natural. I love watching each barista make their drinks, because it is obvious that they care about the quality of each individual beverage. The only complaint I have is that you do have to park on the street, but the spots are really big so for those of us who are terrible at parallel parking like me, it isn't too bad! Seriously, give Stauf's a try! 

Here is a shot of their menu. I didn't get any of my beverage because it wasn't too pretty in it's plain plastic cup. So charming!