in october…

How did October happen?! October! I’m not complaining, though, as I love this month and all its cozy scarves, tall boots and chunky sweaters. Another reason I enjoy October: It blows in big seasonal changes – freezing temps this weekend?! Bah! – as well as life changes and new goals.

But first, how did my September goals turn out? Have a look…

Be grateful, every single day. I missed 10 days of logging five things I’m grateful for in my gratitude journal app, but thanks to a calendar reminder, I remembered the other 20 days. A few highlights: My health, sunscreen, a warm bed, savasana, gingerade kombucha, bike rides, possibilities, sisters, laughter, hope and roads trips with Nick.

Slow down, unplug and be present. Hmm… this still needs work. Being connected is a hard habit to break. While I’ve turned off my laptop earlier each evening, I can unplug a little more often, a little longer each time. And, there’s no need to pull out the iPhone during dinner to check facebook or twitter.

No more ice cream. I can happily say not a single pint of Izzy’s salted caramel was purchased all of September. However, there were a few bites of DQ soft serve and Luna & Larry’s dark chocolate coconut bliss. But, neither of those are ice cream, right? 🙂

Eat at home. Other than our weekend in Madison for Ironman Wisconsin and pho one Friday night, Nick and I did really well eating at home – and made some really tasty meals! I also only ate lunch out once all month.

#joblove. I had high hopes for a couple incredible opportunities, but sadly, nothing’s changed… yet.

Turn off the TV, and read more. I was a bit too ambitious in my reading plan this month. While I finished The Happiness Project – and met some really cool people because of it (hi, Rita!) – and Born to Run, there wasn’t nearly enough time to even crack open The Fire Starter Sessions again. I will be re-reading it in October.

Sleep more. On average, Nick and I got about seven hours of shuteye each night. More than normal, but also less than the ideal eight. Shooting for that in October…

So, October… here’s what’s up.

#joblove. Something has to – and will – give and change in my career. It will, it will, it WILL!

Read more, cont. First up: Finishing Eat, Pray, Love. Then, re-reading The Fire Starter Sessions. Also, Love Does.

No shopping at lululemon. Did I really need the ziggy wee stripe and angel blue wunder unders? Or, the bordeaux drama fast and free crop? Or, three bang buster headbands? I could go the entire month without wearing duplicate lululemon – I mean, there are 20 pairs of wunder unders in my dresser – so no shopping there the next four weeks. This is gonna be tough, especially considering the new spin apparel and the tender violet and herringbone wunder unders (anyone who knows me knows I have an out-of-control obsession with bold wunder unders).

Girl talk. This includes meeting three different girl friends for coffee or yoga or wine or all three, to reconnect and catch up. It also includes sister night times three.

Gluten-free, always. None of this, “Oh, one bite of bread/cake/chocolate chip cookie/pizza won’t hurt me” business. It’s also time to test for food allergies and to see if I actually have celiac (my cousin, Katy, was diagnosed earlier this year and nearly everyone in my family has had his/her gallbladder removed). One more thing: I will meticulously keep a food journal starting today, October 3.

Strength train. There’s been zero strength training for months, so it’s high time to dust off the kettle bell – twice a week.

Meal plan. Nick and I often hit the co-op post-workout every.single.day. Which means we often don’t eat dinner until 8:30p or later. Which is far from ideal. Which means going to bed with a nearly full stomach. Which is just meh. Every weekend, we’ll be stocking our fridge with fresh produce + local meats and planning our weeknight dinners.

What are you up to this month? Any big goals you’re tackling? Career goals you’re reaching? Books you’re reading? Recipes you’d recommend?