Hello, November 🍂
My blog has been very surface level lately so I wanted to link-up with Kristen and Gretch today to go a little deeper with a currently/What’s New With You? post.
Right now I’m R E A D I N G so many books simultaneously. K got me a Kindle Paperwhite for my birthday last month and I went a little crazy on NetGalley… Physical-book-wise, I’m finishing up The Moon-Spinners and Circling the Sun. I just finished Agatha Christie’s The Mysterious Affair at Style. On Kindle I dove into Fairest of All. (K got me Kindle Unlimited and I found it on there.) After I finish some of those I’ll crack into my NetGalley reads! I didn’t end up finishing Erin’s book challenge but that’s ok.
We’re done moving and the old house is officially turned over to the new owners, but I’m still S T R E S S I N G – O U T – O V E R the settling part of new homeownership. I completely broke down to K a few weeks ago and told him that our constant chaos in the house is killing me on the inside and making my anxiety a raging beast. I feel like a failure in my home which makes me feel like a failure in all aspects of life (as a wife, as an employee, as a daughter, as a fall-lover, as a dog momma). I know that’s silly and unhealthy, but I crave balance and order. I promise I’m trying to slow down and focus and relax this month.
I’m also P R E P A R I N G for the holidays (i.e. Christmas gifts, Christmas decorations). I think getting some of that stuff done will reset my brain and give me peace.
The kitchen is finally in order so we will be E A T I N G some yummy home-cooked meals soon. FINALLY, guys. I think one of the worst parts of moving was all the takeout and fast food and sodium-filled dinners during the process. UGH. The last few nights we’ve been snacking on the dips we had at the party (spinach & artichoke, taco, etc.).
We moved all our furniture into the new house and don’t plan to change anything, but we’ve definitely had to add. We are B U Y I N G allll the things right now. Lol. We just got new bookshelves and reading chairs for my library area, I got a new hamper for my itty-bitty laundry room, and we’re currently trying to decide on some end tables and a coffee table… Home tour soon. Promise.
My brain is overwhelmed like an accountant in April, but I am very T H A N K F U L – F O R all our friends and family. Between helping us move, letting me vent on the phone/through text, and celebrating with us at birthday and Halloween parties, I just can’t get over the love and support we’ve been given. Thanks, everyone 🖤 I love going into the holiday season feeling so loved.
We have a business trip in Indianapolis coming up, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t P L A N N I N G a potential winter trip for K and myself. I’ve only mentioned it to him, but I feel like I need to mentally and physically get away for a long weekend. We’ll see if it happens. I’d settle for a girls’ trip instead, but my bff is laid up after knee surgery. We’ll see…
In the interest of full disclosure, I have been R A G I N G – A B O U T the state of our country. The current administration, the Hollywood assault stories, the preference of policy and politics over people. It’s embarrassing and heartbreaking.
Let’s end on a good note, yes?
I am P A R T I C I P A T I N G – I N Alexandra and Shea‘s Live Your Best (Holiday) Life or LYBHolidayL in November. I’m pretty excited about it, actually. Taking the time to be grateful and intentional without spending hundred of dollars 🙂
(I don’t care if Halloween is over.) L A U G H I N G – A B O U T :
So what’s new with you?
Life as Louise 
Chaos at home stresses me out too! It’s just nice to feel settled and like there’s some order. Yay for your kitchen being ready for eating in!
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I love organizing and putting things away, but between parties and business trips I’ve just felt so rush so the entire house just feels chaotic! Things are starting to clear up and fine homes fortunately.
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Library area! So jealous!
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I begged my husband to let me turn half the living room into a library, but so far I’ve only had ONE night free and available to camp out there and read. I need to change that!
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I have 4 bookcases in my living room, but then my boyfriend’s music stuff lives in front of it so I can’t make it a “proper” library area with a comfortable reading chair. One day I will have a whole room just for books (in my dreams!).
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Oh gosh, I’m obsessed with my Kindle Paperwhite. It’s so handy!! I’m loving those comics at the end – especially the first two. Too funny!!
And the current state of the country right now? Yeah, it’s intense and scary and sad, and i just hate it.
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
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I am REALLY loving my kindle. I especially love that I can read with the lights out while K sleeps! 😀
Yesterdays election gave me a tiny spark of hope. We CAN turn this around 🙂
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Completely agree about the state of this country right now. It’s so draining and exhausting trying to stay on top of all the BS. But, prepping for Christmas definitely helps me destress!!
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SO draining. I am really looking forward to Christmas giving us all a little cheer. (Honestly, I was feeling SO unfestive last year at this time. sigh)
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LOL LOL the grim reaper comic! hahaha! looking fwd to seeing your new library area (sounds amazing, btw).
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My grandma hands out full-size candy bars 🙂 I’m going to show her that comic next time I see her! Haha!
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There’s a reason why they say that moving is one of the biggest life events that cause depression… its tough in the weirdest ways you dont think of. Its just hard getting settled in much less all the small details & the stress of all the things financially & emotionally moving. Hang in there…
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I had NO idea that moving was a trigger for depression. I asked K if he knew that and he said yes and I was like DID YOU THINK YOU’D WANT TO TELL THE DIAGNOSED DEPRESSED GIRL??! Lol
Fortunately things are slowing down and the house is starting to feel a little better 😉
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I have never bought or sold a home so I can only imagine the stress of dealing with it. Hopefully, things are now winding down and become less stressful for you! Your library area sounds delightful and I can’t wait to see pics of it. I’ve always wanted a little reading area for me. 😀 I gave up on Erin’s Challenge a couple months ago. None of the books really appealed to me any more and I was already in enough of a book funk that forcing myself to read would have made it worst. I love the funnies, especially the dog and grim reaper.
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I’m very grateful because I think we had a fairly painless, easy time with selling buying… We sold our house and bought the first one we laid eyes on & fell in love with. So I do feel very very lucky. It was just A LOT to handle in an already super busy time frame.
I love doing Erin’s challenges 🙂 They definitely push me to pick up books! (Even books that aren’t on the challenge. Ha.)
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So sorry about all the stress you’re experiencing! I hope you get all settled into your new home soon and I can’t wait to see a home tour! That comic with the full size candy is cracking me up!
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It’s all starting to slow down now. (I type that as I’m away on a business trip, ha. HOPEFULLY it’s going to start to slow down now…) I love that one- my grandma hands out full size bars!! Ha!
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ooh i love kindle unlimited (and sometimes i’m meh about it) so i will have to check that book out if you like it. i really need a new kindle and i am tossing up between the basic and paperwhite. i am going to wait for black friday though. i didn’t finish erin’s challenge either. high five! haha.
i feel the same in situations like that. i was happy in our new house but also stressing out all the time which just made me unhappy overall. i feel like this year has been such a rollercoaster for me and unfortunately overall an unhappy one (but mostly that’s on me and not what happened in the year).
library area?!!?!?!?!?!?! YOU BETTER SHARE PHOTOS SO I CAN BE JEALOUS. i don’t care about the rest of the house, just show me the library area. i’m kidding. mostly.
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I’m a big fan of my new kindle. NOT so much a fan of the Fairest of All book. Its very childish and poorly developed (in my opinion). I’m really banking on Nov. and Dec. being slow, steady months that I can get my house in order and read some books and really prep for the holidays.
I’ll have house pictures up soon!!! I promise!
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You are me in how you internalize external chaos in your home. Nothing sends me into a quasi-mental breakdown state quite like that. I’ve had to explain it to MFD 409238408340 times. He is fine in chaos.
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Oh my gosh. It doesn’t affect K one little bit. I’m trying to breakdown boxes and re-fold towels and find a home for one million candles, and he asks if I want to watch a movie. Hahaha.
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“Outer order = Inner calm” <–So true for me, and unfortunately the reverse is also true! I hate living in messy and/or disorganized spaces. Although – Library nook?!?! Squeeeeeee!
I am excited about LYBHolidayLife too and Blogger Pen Pal Christmas Swap!!! Let me know if you want any help getting that organized.
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I think the library area is the ONLY spot in the house totally organized and tidy. Hahaha!
I’m loving the LYBHolidayL!! And thank you so much! I’m so pumped for the swap!
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I cant stand to have chaos everywhere either. When we moved in to our current house, I stayed up for like 48 hours with little cap naps trying to get things put away in the main areas and setting up the living room, kitchen, bathrooms and our bedroom before I could rest. Now, the house still isn’t decorated in many rooms 5 years later because I am ridiculous about making decisions. And I sort of hate certain areas of our house and now I am counting down til we find a new one lol. cant wait to see the home tour!
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Oh geez… we still don’t have curtains because I/we can’t make decisions about some stuff. It’s RIDICULOUSLY stressful to decorate and organize a new home! Ugh!
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Not having a usable kitchen always stresses me out, too.
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I think I finally have everything where I want it in the kitchen- now I just need organizers and shelves and spacers for the pantry and under the sink and other small spaces!
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hope y’all are able to get away for a winter trip! 🙂
and those comics are so great!
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Thank you! I’m crossing my finger that we find some time to escape 😉
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Oh gosh, that’s so much going on. I totally understand. I’ve been in a state of break down off and on for a year .. or so.. or more? ick. Anyhow, I understand. Hang in there, I hope that things calm down for you now and you are able to enjoy fall and the holidays and the start of winter. I haven’t been reading at all… so I’m failing at that. Boo. LOL. Oh well, enjoying other things right now. I’m glad you are enjoying the LYBHolidayL challenge. it’s helping me, even on days when I don’t have a ton of ideas for the prompt. I’m really bad at self care… and so I think it is helping me a lot in that way. 🙂 Hope that you enjoy the things you do for it. 🙂 Thanks for sharing. 😉 Have a great weekend! XO – Alexandra
Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things
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I am really hoping that Nov. and Dec. prove to be relaxing, stress-free, slow paced recuperation months for us. We can fill them with reading and self-care and holiday cheer 🙂 ❤
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It’s definitely a crazy time to have bought a house but remember this will pass and you’ll get to have your first Christmas at your new place! Try and take it one day at a time! You got this!
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I am sooo looking forward to Christmas. Once we’re home from our business trip I plan on slowing waaaay down and limited our social calendar and enjoy the coziness of our house (once I get it all arranged, lol).
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i know that feeling of post-move stress. it’s not a great feeling while you’re in it, but that starting fresh and getting everything set where you want it is such a good feeling afterward! you can do it!
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Thank you for the encouragement, friend 🙂 I think I’m starting to see a small little tiny glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel!
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