September has kicked into full swing so it seems, but in an entirely new way (obv…) Usually this month is full of Fashion Week events & the related, although it’s been a year or two (pre-pandemic) since I’ve been entirely dedicated to this “season of NYC.” In a way, this month has been one of the harder ones to plan content for but if I’m being honest, a lot has been hard to navigate in the past 7 months, & understandably so. Every day since March has been a challenge for us all.

In a moment of pure loss & genuine writer’s block, I turned to my amazing community on IG for any content suggestions they’d appreciate seeing more of from me this month. I cannot even begin to describe how much the immediate, helpful feedback meant to me! This hasn’t been the best time for “The Influencer” and although I’d consider myself as someone very much aware of my behavior on this platform, there are some other Influencers handling this unprecedented time poorly to say the least – therefore, stereotyping the career title for most of us in a negative way. Long story short – it felt extremely humbling to feel like you guys want to see me succeed & for that, I couldn’t be more grateful.

Okkkk back to today’s post – I was entirely inspired by Julia of Lemon Stripes recent Random Things: August post & wanted to share my version of this great template. Just a handful of things going on for this month in my everyday life. Hope you enjoy!

THINGS I’M LOVING LATELY

Knit Sweaters – I probably won’t be wearing any of them outdoors until late October, but happy to blast the AC to make them suitable in the meantime. This Sweetheart Sweater I’m wearing above is a recent fave buy of mine; comes in several colors but I went with the Sand option in size small. PS – I also own this Tunic Sweater in black & absolutely love it. Just noticed it’s in stock with all sizes but it won’t be for long (trust me!)

The Ultimate Portable Charger – You’ll never need another solution to charging your phone on the go ever again. This baby holds up to 2 full charges and comes with 4 different cords so you can be the hero amongst iPhone & Android humans alike. Best part – it comes with the outlet plug built-in, so you can say ADIOS to those tangled cords that often get forgotten at home.

Leather Zippered Tote Bag – I got this bag as a Christmas present last year & used it as my work bag up until March. Since then, it’s been my weekend travel tote that still carries all my work things! I’m honestly so impressed with how well this bag is constructed – I legit STUFF it to the brim and its beyond strong, showing zero signs of wear (which is astounding considering how much I’ve put it through lol.) With the excitement of some of us returning back to work, why not treat yourself to the tote bag you absolutely deserve!? Be sure to get your initials on it too, yanno just because :]

Active Loungewear – We started this year in loungewear & cozies & continued it throughout the summer (sort of – well, I did.) Now the time is coming where it’ll be appropriate for everyday wear once more! My new fave thing is finding loungey activewear to wear while sitting inside all day – not for working out purposes lol. I have other activewear for such endeavors. I recently got this beige ribbed sports bra & leggings set along with this cozy-looking white pullover (as if I needed any more white tops..) YOLO.

RECIPES WE’RE COOKING

We haven’t been cooking as much as we’d like to this Summer, since we’ve been going back to our hometown to hit the beach most weekends. However, there are a handful of recipes we’ve found useful for those 1-2 weekly meals we’ve cooked in rotation (to make things easier / grocery trips shorter lol.) Once we move into the house next month, I’m truly looking forward to getting back into cooking for almost every meal. In the meantime, here are a few great recipe finds we constantly go back to & rely on:

Easy (& Delicious) Steak Marinade

The Best Baked Potato

Healthy Taco Bowls

Tasty Lemon Basil Linguine (with Chicken)

PODCASTS I’M LISTENING TO

The Office Ladies – I’ve mentioned this podcast a handful of times before & I truly enjoy it. Every Wednesday, Jenna Fisher and Angela Kinsey will break down an episode of The Office and give exclusive behind-the-scene stories that only two people who were there, can tell you. You can even submit a question for an upcoming episode they’ll be covering and most likely get it answered on the Podcast! Available on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.

Be There In Five – I’ve known about Kate ever since I bought one of her Remindoor Mats for my first NYC apartment (~5 years ago!) But I had no idea she had such a diverse podcast as well! Personally, I like her humor and despite each episode sounding like a ramble of opinion/thought, that’s entirely why I appreciate it. Her podcast sounds like something I’d do if I wanted to just talk about things on my mind non-stop. Great for when you have long car rides/commutes. My personal favorite episodes are The Bride Tribe Series (seriously insane stories!) and The Influencer Deep Dive Series (she’s so accurate with these, not gonna lie haha.) Available on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.

The Great Indoors – A new listen for me but since I’m all about the home decor these days, I find these episodes quite educational and soothing to listen to (especially while cleaning my closet!) Each episode discusses & guides interior loving listeners through the top trends and hottest topics from the home front. Available on Spotify.

Stuff You Should Know – Thomas’s Dad got me hooked on this one; I find it so fascinating! The description says it all: If you ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, The Stonewall Uprising, Chaos Theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime & Rosa Parks, then look no further! Available on Spotify.

WHAT I’M READING/WATCHING

Books: The Dollhouse – a must-read if you’re a fan of murder mysteries & historical fiction. I cruised through this book (super easy) & I couldn’t put it down. I literally stayed up 4 hours one night to finish it; been a while since I’ve done that! The next book I’m starting is Where The Crawdads Sing – a little late to the party, I know, but figured I need something a little longer to tackle this time.

TV/Shows: The Morning Show (Apple+) – Thomas & I just started this and I’m not gonna lie, it’s heavier than expected but very relevant given the climate of where it got its inspiration. Let’s just say you’ll figure out the storyline if your familiar with (real) daytime morning television. Another show we’ve started but haven’t finished yet is Community (Netflix) – I never watched it when it was on TV but after rewatching The Office 100x, this was a great find to come across with similar humor. And once we go back to one of our parent’s houses, we’ll definitely be watching Class Action Park (HBO Max) – Crazy that we used to go to this water & adventure park and even crazier that we survived! Clearly don’t have HBO at the apartment so that’s why we need to “travel” to watch it haha.

THINGS ON MY TO-DO LIST

Clean out my closet(s) & organize clothing for weekly giveaways (be sure to follow me on IG so you can get in on this!)

Finalize getting the required COI Forms for moving company & current residence before October 1. If you’re planning an apartment move of any kind, be sure to check out this post for all the tips & tricks to help make it any less stressful than it should be!

Determine paint colors/plan for the house. Once the current renter is out on Oct 1, I’ll be able to show you all the house in its empty entirely and will be sure to share the befores & afters for every home improvement project ahead. In the meantime, I’m on Pinterest every other hour scrolling through ideas for the wall trims & door frames.

THINGS I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO

Back-to-back-to-back-to-back birthdays & events! Every week(end) in September is a special day for someone in my life. Kicking it off this weekend is my Parent’s 33rd Wedding Anniversary on the 12th, followed by my Mom’s Birthday on the 16th. On the 19th, we’re celebrating two close friends tying the knot in their backyard. Then it’s the birthday for my Dad, Helena, & my twin cousins on the 28th! The weekend after that is Thomas’s birthday on Oct 3.

Then in October, we begin the minor home improvement projects like painting! Safe to say we won’t be having any guaranteed weekends in Hoboken until we move (omg sad to even write that out..) but we’re onto the next chapter slowly but surely. Despite the bittersweet feelings of leaving before we intended, we know in our hearts it’s the right decision for us to make in this moment. The excitement of what’s to come will surely prove itself to be wonderful when the time arrives :]