Autumn Amelia

Hello everyone!
Happy New Year!

This year I realized I struggle with focusing on where I currently am.

I like to focus on the future and this causes me to lose out on the present.

This is especially true for seasons.

When it's spring I am looking forward to summer

When it's summer I am looking forward to fall.

When it's fall I am looking forward to winter.

And so on.

To help me enjoy the present I started making a list for each season and focusing on what I could enjoy and accomplish in each one.

I drew inspiration from the kids gift list of Want, Need, Wear, Read. 

And came up with Eat, Buy, Read, Try.

Eat because I love to eat seasonally.

Buy to encourage me to buy something for myself.
Either something I need or just to treat myself. 

Read because I love to read books but rarely do.

Try to encourage me to try something new.

It could be a new hair style, a new work out routine, a new fashion anything that caught my eye. 

I looked at trends and styles I was loving and added them to my lists.

Here are the things that I came up with for 2018.

Spring

Eat: Radishes

Buy: Jean Jacket

Read: Girlboss

Try: Half up hair

Summer
Eat: Artichokes
Buy: Romper
Read: Where Did You Go, Bernadette?

Try: Fishtail Braids

Fall

Eat: Pumpkin Seeds
Buy: Reader Glasses
Read: Whiskey In A Teacup

Try: Bubble Bar

Winter

Eat: Pomegranates
Buy: Velvet Top
Read: The Nightingale

Try: Red Eyeshadow

I loved having these lists to help me focus on the present.

And since each season is roughly three months long completing four things each wasn't unrealistic.

I will be honest I did not complete everything on all of these lists but it did push me to try new things and help me to enjoy the current season.

I am excited to implement this into the new year and hope to cross off many more things.

What would be on your list for the start of 2019?

All my love,

Autumn

Hello everyone!
Christmas is my favorite time of year by far.
I love the sights, sounds and smells.
But my favorite part would have to be spending quality time with my loved ones.
The holidays are the only time I see some of my family members during the year.
It has made me appreciate these moments and realize how precious they are.
Time goes by fast.
Every year I am reminded of this.
Each time I see my family and realize how long it has been since we have seen each other and how long it will be before we are all together again.

Life is short.

It may not always feel that way, but it really is.
That's why I believe it is so important to show love at all times.
You never know when you will get the opportunity to again.
In this day and age I feel it is becoming less and less popular to share our feelings.
We don't want to come on too strong or seem weak.

I would rather be remembered for loving too fiercely than not loving at all.

It can be exhausting to continuously reach out, show up or make an effort.

But at the end of the day I know that I have done what I can to make a difference.
That I have let my loved ones know I care for them and am here whenever I am needed.
What's more important than that?

I encourage you to love fiercely.
Especially during this time of year when you are with your loved ones more often.
Be present.
Listen.
Put down the phones and focus on what really matters.
Each other.
Life is too short to let another moment go by without letting them know.

All my love,

Autumn

Hello everyone!

We have almost made it though another year.

Is anyone as exhausted as I am?

These last few weeks have been especially hard.

It has made me a little frustrated because I am a Christmas fanatic but feel like I have been held back.

I'm sure many of you have reached this point before.

When you feel like all of your hard work has been for naught and you don't think you have the strength to go on.

Hello everyone!
The holiday season is fully upon us.
As we enter this time of year where we see loved ones from different parts of the world more often, I thought it would be an appropriate time to talk about social awareness.
Social Awareness: To be conscious of the difficulties and hardships of society.
I feel like a lot of people don't have social awareness skills nowadays.
We have become too self involved.

I used to think that as time went on people would gain perspective.

That they would see how others struggle or how hard it is to juggle several things at once.

I have come to learn that that is not the case.

For some people it's just their show twenty four seven.
So, here is a little lesson for you.

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Hello everyone!

I hope you all had an amazing holiday weekend.

Today I wanted to talk to you about my weaknesses.

Growing up I had a tendency to focus on my flaws.

I was too timid.

Too emotional.

Too quiet.

It took me a long time to realize that what I thought were my weaknesses were actually my strengths.

I love this quote as it reminds me to play to my strengths.

Or rather, my weaknesses.

All of the things that I thought made me less than make me great.

My timidness has made me a planner.

I am often over prepared in situations which has given me the opportunity to help others.

My high emotions have given me empathy.

It is easier to understand someone when you can relate to their feelings.

My quietness has made me a good listener.

I frequently catch onto subtle things and am able to use them to my advantage.

Some might still see these as weaknesses but I have chosen to see them as strengths.

What do you consider some of your "weaknesses?"

Have they provided you with abilities you might not have otherwise?

No matter how small or insignificant those abilities may seem they make a difference to the world and those around you. 

Play to them.

All my love,

Autumn

Hello everyone!

With Thanksgiving this Thursday I thought it would be appropriate to talk about gratitude.

Do you ever find it hard to be grateful?

Maybe you have been feeling really down.

Maybe everyone else seems to be moving forward and you seem to be moving back. 

Maybe some bad news has been lingering in your mind.

Hello everyone!

Hello everyone!

This year it has been particularly hard for me to find motivation...

Unfortunately the world doesn't stop even if you want it to.

To help myself, and my lack of motivation, I have started writing down my goals.

Every time I am feeling down and need a push to keep going I pull up this list. 

The goals on their own weren't very effective so I went into more detail.

I wrote down the goal along with at least five reasons why I want or need to achieve it.

For my health, for Erik, for my career, for our future family.

Then underneath these reasons I wrote at least three ways it would positively affect them.

When I visually see all that I am working towards it helps me to move forward.
It doesn't automatically make me ready to take on the world but it does give the push I need to get through.
 I am reminded that what I do today does makes a difference for my future self.

Life isn't perfect.
We all have not so great days.
How are you working towards it today?
Are you only working towards it when you feel good?
What can you do to change that?
Remember that the effort you put in today will affect the outcome of tomorrow.
How do you help yourself stay motivated?

All my love,

Autumn

Hello everyone!

Over the weekend Erik and I attended an event to see Hocus Pocus in the woods.

Let's just say it did not go as planned...

The date was changed due to weather conditions making it harder for us to attend.

Because of the date change there were less vendors and activities.

And when it came to watch the movie they couldn't get it to work!

All in all not the night we expected.

But I also know it was not the night the organizers expected either.

Erik and I have pretty go with the flow personalities.

We have been through enough in our lives to know that things happen.

I was so surprised by the reactions of other people.

They got upset.

They swore.

They chewed out teenage workers.

They demanded refunds.
Grown adults had full on tantrums.

I understand it was there right to do so.
They paid money to be there.

I don't understand why people get so worked up over small things.

Even though the event did not go as expected Erik and I understood that this was no ones fault.

That things are out of our control and that yelling at someone was not going to make it better.

We were still able to get a good experience out of it.

We enjoyed delicious food.

Took pictures with the amazing scenery.

Enjoyed a campfire under a blanket of stars.

And we got to meet new people and make memories with them.

There were a lot of worse places to be that night.

I know that life can be tough.

I know that things don't always go as planned.

But I also know that doesn't mean the new path has to be bad.

The next time you are in a situation that doesn't turn out the way you had planned I encourage to look for the good.
Take a deep breathe, step back and gain some perspective.

Chances are there are far worse places to be.

All my love,

Autumn

Hello everyone!

Have you ever seen someone get in their own way?

They settle.

They give others power over them.

They talk themselves out of something.

And you are like "Why can't you see how awesome you are?!"

Then you turn around and do the same thing...

It's so easy from an outside perspective to see when someone is doing something they shouldn't.

But, when it comes to ourselves we tend to be blind.

Why are we quick to think the worst of ourselves?

And how do we fix it?

Why not talk to yourself like you would your best friend?

I'm serious...

It sounds crazy but you know you wouldn't let your friend get away with how you are treating yourself.

The sooner we realize what we are worth the sooner we can treat ourselves that way.

And the sooner we treat ourselves that way the sooner we can get it.

Get out of your own way.

Go after what you wan't.

Don't let other's words affect you.

Pump yourself up.

You are worth it. 

I promise.

All my love,

Autumn

Hello everyone!

This past weekend I had a hard day...

There was no particular reason.

I just woke up to it.

All of these negative thoughts were running through my head. 

Telling me I wasn't enough.

Telling me I didn't deserve what I had.

Telling me that my goals were pointless.

After awhile Erik noticed I was a little off.

He asked me if everything was okay.

I didn't tell him what was wrong right away.

I honestly didn't know at first.

When I did, I didn't know how to explain it.

I also didn't want to.

It's hard to share your insecurities and hear them spoken out loud.

I finally told Erik what was going on.

He sat down with me and we talked it through.

He encouraged me and reminded me that I was loved.

But the thoughts still loomed.

We continued on with our day.

After awhile Erik came down stairs dressed and said "I am taking you out. All this work is not good for you."

I tried to resist, like I usually do, but I had already gotten most of my work done and we had no plans that evening. 

So, to the movies we went.

Erik treated me exceptionally well. 

He bought me expensive candy, opened every door for me and showered me with compliments.
It was exactly what I needed.

To turn my brain off and not worry about the world for a bit.

I have a hard time asking for help.

Any type of help.

Asking for favors.
Asking someone to hand me something.

Asking for help when I have bitten off more than I can chew.

I especially struggle when it's related to my mental health.

You can't do it alone.

You need the support and strength of others.
I am reminded of that often.
And I hope that you are too.
If not, here is your reminder.
It is not a weakness to need help.
It is a strength to be brave enough to ask for it.

All my love, 

Autumn

Hello everyone!

I'll be honest when I say that I have spent a good majority of my life trying to be someone else.

Trying to be prettier, smarter, braver.

It took me years to figure out that I was already what I needed to be.

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It's so hard to be comfortable in your own skin these days.

We are constantly told what we should and should not be.

We are expected to fit into an unachievable mold of perfection.

Anything that does not fit into the mold is labeled as "weird" or "wrong." 

I have finally gotten to a place where I am comfortable with my imperfections.

I realized that what I had been trying to hide from the world was what I should be sharing with it.

We are all so different and have something valuable to offer.

What we think of as our weaknesses can be our biggest strengths.

Be proud that you are shy, stubborn, assertive, or reserved.

Be proud that you talk to your pets, have an obsession with unicorns or have a lot of random knowledge about cartoons. 

The sooner you accept yourself the sooner you can share your gifts with the world.

So, hurry up!

We are waiting for you. 

All my love,

Autumn

Hello everyone!

I can't believe we have made it to September.

I honestly can't believe I made it through this year at all.

I started it off broken, hurt and confused.

The first part of the year seemed to drag on forever and I never thought that I would never be able to feel normal again.

I am happy to say that I found my way out of that dark place.

It really seemed impossible at first but here we are.

I am happy, hopeful and excited for the future once again.

Wherever you are, whatever you are going through I want you to know that it will pass.

Don't give up.

Keep fighting even though it is so hard.

Keep moving forward even if it feels like you aren't moving fast enough.

Give yourself time to heal, cope, grieve whatever it is you need to do and I promise you it will get better.

You will get better.

All my love,

Autumn

Hello everyone!

This week Erik and I will be heading out on a cruise to celebrate our five year wedding anniversary.

Woot! Woot!

I wish I could tell you that we are the people who can just book a vacation without a second thought but we most definitely are not.

Whenever Erik and I accomplish something I have always had people ask me how we do it.

How do we afford it?

How do we find the time?

What's the secret?

Well the answer, however boring it may be, is that we plan and save.

Erik and I used to celebrate our anniversary at a family cabin each year.

It was free and less than an hour away.

After a few years of this I asked Erik if we could start saving for an actual out of town vacation.

The cabin was nice and all but I wanted to be a little more adventurous. 

So, we made a game plan. 

We created a savings account specifically for vacation savings and transferred a certain amount per paycheck into it.

It took a bit of time to actually get what we needed for a vacation in there but we eventually got it done and were able to go on our first cruise for our three year wedding anniversary. 

Whenever I tell people our "secret" of planning and saving they are immediately disappointed. 

They don't want to wait.

They don't want to save.

They want what they want and they want it now.

Everything Erik and I have accomplished has been done over time.

This Blog.

Purchasing our house.

Erik's soon to be college degree.

The process has been slow but we have gotten places.

Little steps now mean bigs steps in the future.
So, get to it!

All my love,

Autumn

Hello everyone!

I bet if I asked, most of you could name at least one thing in your life that you would change.

Some might be big and others small, but I bet the majority of them are easily attainable.

Hello everyone!

I know that today was the first day of school for many of you.

So, I thought we'd talk about learning. 

I feel the older I get the more I am expected to know.

The truth is I don't know everything.

And I never will.

As we get older we experience more and more and gain a lot of knowledge.

This does not mean that we will ever reach a point in our lives where we know everything.

We will still have things we have not done or need to relearn.

I think it is so important to keep the hunger for learning alive and continue to chase more knowledge.
The world opens up to you the more you learn about it.
Don't stop asking questions.

It can be intimidating to show that you have a lack of knowledge on any subject.

Don't let that discourage you. 

Asking questions is one of the only ways you will continue to learn.
The minute we stop learning is the minute we stop growing.

Continue to learn and you will continue to grow.

All my love,

Autumn

Hello everyone!

As I have mentioned, I am not someone who likes to discuss my problems.

I don't want others to feel like I am complaining, that I am ungrateful or self centered. 

That does not mean I don't have any.

Everyone we know has their own struggles, whether they express them or not.

Your family, best friend, coworkers, a total stranger.

You do not know their story. 

Hello everyone!

As you may know I am 25.

25 is still pretty young in the grand scheme of things, but I do have some "What ifs" and "Could have beens."

I have been thinking about them a bit more this year and I hate to admit that when I reflect on them my mind immediately thinks "It's too late."

Life can feel long...
But the best part about that is it gives us so many opportunities to try again.
It can be intimidating to have a goal other's have already conquered or succeeded in.
You feel like you are behind or that you missed your chance.
It can be hard having to start again and go back to square one.
You have already put in effort and it might seem like a waste.
I love that each day is a new start.
A new chance to work towards a better you.
A new opportunity to work towards a life you have always wanted.
Let's make a goal this week.
What is something you wish you would have done?
Something you wonder if you should try again?
Something you can't stop thinking about?
I challenge you to take a step towards it.
Even a tiny baby step is better than nothing.
Lets all take a step closer to a life we want.

All my love,
Autumn