“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…” —Ecclesiastes 3:1
Autumn has finally arrived here in Texas and how ironic is that considering this Saturday actually marks the first day of winter?
If you think about it, autumn went by so quickly it didn’t truly have time to autumn.
Speaking of, I missed the entire fall season this year. And quite frankly, I’m sad about it. I felt like I was going so hard so fast (not on my own accord, of course) that I truly couldn’t slow down.
Now that life has slowed down a bit, I hate that I have to truly experience winter. And after the ice storm I experienced several years ago, I’m no longer a fan of winter so I’m definitely not looking forward to the cold.
On the bright side, I will be armed with prayer, vitamin D, sweaters, and my Lumebox.
That said, before I unwillingly welcome winter soon, I wanted to share some 2024 autumn reflections and life updates.
THIS AUTUMN, I…
WATCHED
While it’s not my thing to watch scary movies/shows, I’ve been watching a lot of catfishing and true crime documentaries and docu-series lately. Ones I’ve watched have been: American Murder: Laci Peterson, Who Killed Jonbenet Ramsey?, Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare, Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, The Murder of Air McNair, Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist, Waco: American Apocalypse, Who Killed Jill Dando?, and Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street.
I also recently finished the My Life is Murder show last week and it was better than I expected! And of course, I’m watching all the Christmas movies on repeat, my favorite being Home Alone and Christmas Vacation.
READ
This autumn, I made up for lost time by reading a ton of books and starting interesting ones recommended by my mentors. I’ve been reading The One Truth: Elevate Your Mind, Unlock Your Power, Heal Your Soul by Jon Gordon and am currently finishing up Forever Strong: A New, Science-Based Strategy for Aging Well by Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, Necessary Endings: The Employees, Businesses, and Relationships That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Move Forward by Henry Cloud, Expert Secrets by Russell Brunson, Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight, and Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin as well as the books below.
I will say my favorite book to finally receive in the mail was new cookbook, ! And it was totally worth the wait!
PLAYING
Sadly, I haven’t been playing anything. I hope to get time off soon so I can truly relax!
EATING/DRINKING
Food-wise, I’ve been eating (and making) a ton of healthy, fresh and organic foods since the spring.
I’m also proud to say that I’ve cut out about 90% of processed foods. And it wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be.
Maybe it’s the mindset of, “Why am I giving my hard-earned money to companies who are taking shortcuts with their products and are using ingredients that are banned in Europe?!”
Anyway, I’ve also been enjoying making food from scratch like garlic mashed potatoes and healthier versions of holiday sides such as green bean casserole. And as it gets colder, I cannot wait to take a break from the kitchen and go get warm staples like phở and bò bho (Vietnamese beef stew).
I feel like I’m totally getting “crunchier” by the day the more I learn about the details of what is in our food. As I make the switch over to organic little by little, I’m reading labels a lot closer too.
That said, while I don’t eat a ton of flour/bread products, I have switched over to healthier breads such as Hero bread and Dave’s Killer Bread and have successfully got my best friend and her dad (who have diabetes) to make the switch as well.
I’ve also been drinking a lot of water with electrolytes and coffee here and there. To support my body on a deeper level, I’m also taking my magnesium and taking vitamin D (magnesium doesn’t work without this vitamin) and have added on a layer of bioactive precision peptides to my daily supplement routine.
WEARING
Since I work from home, I’m still living in my The Bar sweatshirts and as the weather gets colder, fleece pants will be my go-to. On weekends, I rotate my favorite AG jeans and of course, APLs VERY heavily.
BUYING
I also finally took my black and white APL Nostalgia sneakers out for a spin when I went to Orlando last month. They were great for traveling although they were pretty squeaky. I’m hoping the sound will go away as I break them in some more. We’ll see!
These cool pair of sneakers below were recently added to my closet as I’m not a fan of the Sambas everyone else seems to be into wearing. I also got these sequin loafers (size down), this embellished button up, this classic leather belt with a gold buckle in both colors, and this brown faux fur coat (size down unless you want an oversized fit) that was truly worth the wait for delivery.
For beauty, I got this eyeshadow quad and replenished on my Summer Fridays skincare products Rich Cushion Cream and Midnight Ritual Retinol, during their Black Friday sale.
LISTENING
This past Fashion Month season, I listened to Lords of Corruption on repeat so much I think I could audition for any role if they ever made a movie out of it, haha!
I’m still listening to Christian influencer, Kevin, (sorry, I don’t have his last name). The way he covers pop culture, politics, current world news, and phenomenons (like a certain wildly popular singer that I refuse to mention by name) and how everything that’s happening is a spiritual battle we’re experiencing. I’ve learned a TON from him and he has opened my eyes in various ways I never expected. The fun part is that he just launched his podcast called Good Ground podcast so I’ll be binging on it soon.
I thoroughly enjoyed following House in Habit, Conservative Ant, and The Girl Named Blake for political news/events these past few months. While all three live completely different lifestyles, between them, it’s been so great to see them talk about similar political beliefs while sharing differing opinions on certain topics during the election too.
I’ve also started to listen more to Emily Ford’s podcast called The Fordify Show and have been LOVING it.
PLANNING
With the exception of being in the early stages of thinking about home ownership, I’m not planning anything in particular except for my 2025 goals.
I’m also being intentional in slowing down to organize myself so I can speed up.
LOOKING FOR
Honestly, I’m looking for God more in my life and embracing what He wants for me. During my prayer time, I’ve asked Him to show me what He’s preparing me for in the future.
LOOKING FORWARD TO
I’m looking forward to rebranding myself soon and while I’m making great strides, improving my health even more.
LOVING
I’ve been loving taking more risks such as helping launch a start up company in the wellness space (it’ll be official in March of 2025). While I went through something serious, I still chose to go to see how I could help other people in the future.
It’s been SO fun meeting new friends and reuniting with old ones. To know we’re on the same page in terms of dreaming big tells me I’m at the right place, at the right time, with the right people!
Here’s a moment from an unplanned dinner in Orlando. To think I know one friend in this photo for over a decade tells you how fast time sure flies! What a blessed evening!
I LOVED getting to see our good friend, Kimmy, right before the Thanksgiving holiday. It was great to catch up with her over coffee. Love her so much!
And what a great ending to the month by attending our friend’s company’s holiday party! It was so nice to get out after being cooped up for a few months!
THINKING ABOUT
I’ve been thinking a lot about what’s going to happen in the next few months. When I know more, I’ll share what’s been going on with me personally (if I feel comfortable). All I know is God has been putting on my heart that “change is coming” since this spring this year and to be prepared.
If I’m being real, I’m not prepared because I’m so tired from caring for my loved ones while working a day job, and trying to keep up my brand. I feel like I’m not doing a good job with anything right now.
HATING
While I’m hating seeing the truth come out about abuse from pastors, celebrities, etc. It’s not that I hate truth. I just hate their behavior. To think the physical and mental damage to other people, especially children, is unfathomable. And I know it’s God bringing what’s being done in the dark to the light.
I’m also hating the self-check outs at stores. No, I’m not going to be scanning my own stuff I’m paying for with my hard-earned money after I’ve worked all day/week just because you want to make more profits by not hiring people who actually need jobs. And yes, I believe self-check outs are a scam.
SLACKING ON
Yep, it’s still sleep. Guys, I’m just barely surviving at this point. I know something has got to give.
STRUGGLING WITH
I’m struggling with going to the gym, getting organized, and enough sleep. I legit have no time to do anything for myself and I fear a temporary meltdown may be coming soon.
IMPROVING
Health-wise, my water intake has tremendously improved after adding electrolytes!
THINKING ABOUT…AUTUMN 2024 LESSONS
This past autumn, I learned that health is wealth. If you don’t take care of yourself, you end up forcing people into roles they never signed up for and it will damage your relationship. And if it’s bad enough, it may lead to resentment. Keep yourself healthy physically and mentally and you and everyone around you will exude joy naturally.
I’ve also learned that things done in the dark will always come to light. ALWAYS. It doesn’t matter how long, the truth will always come out and justice will be served.
That said, I’m preparing myself to be disappointed in the people I thought were good as what they’ve done in the dark is going to be revealed. 2025 will be a wild ride in the best, positive ways!
I’ve also learned that life is too short to stay at a job you’re not passionate about just because it “feels” secure. Just because you’re good at your job doesn’t mean you should be doing it forever. Whatever has been tugging at your heart and you know you need to do it, feel the fear and do it anyway. You’ll be glad you did when you’re old and grey!
Even though I feel like I haven’t accomplished anything this autumn, I know I’ve grown a lot as a person. I know what I want and where I want to go. It’s just a matter of time.
Let’s catch up with each other! Update me and let me know what’s going on with you as of late in the comments below!
