Hi friends! I figure it’s time for a little monthly check-in, so that we can catch up and chat over some virtual coffee. You down? Here are nine things I’ve been pondering, feeling, doing, being, and living lately. What have you been up to these days?

1. I feel like I am constantly looking for ways to grow and improve just about everything, from who I am to what my apartment looks like. I like this about myself for the most part, but having this mindset can be kind of exhausting. I actually have a tattoo that says, “like a root growing–” which is both a line from my favorite poem and a reflection on my desire to always grow as a person. I like that I’m not keen to settling, but sometimes I wish I could just be happy with less. Do you ever feel this way?

2. Do you have a favorite holiday? Mine is Halloween! To be honest, I’m not entirely sure why I love Halloween so much. Maybe it’s because it feels so representative of Autumn (my favorite season) or because I adore the decorations and seeing little kids in costumes. Or it could be the memories I have of bringing home a pillowcase of candy each year (until I was, like, 15) and eating it for months on end. Or maaaybe it’s because I’ve seen Hocus Pocus enough times to recite it by heart? I can’t really say, but thinking about Halloween just feels like home for some reason. It gives me this warm, happy feeling, unlike any other holiday. My grandma’s birthday was on Halloween, so that might have a little somethin’ to do with it, too. 🙂

3. Last week I opened up the blog to contributors and have been blown away by your response and applications! I’m not too sure how I’m going to pick a teeny handful of people out of everyone who applied — y’all are making this difficult! 😉 There’s still time to apply if you’re interested…all the details are right here. I’m really stoked to eventually have a mini team of people writing here. And I do hope to create that “team vibe.” I’ve noticed through the various jobs or positions I’ve had throughout my life that I love — absolutely LOVE — taking care of people. I know this contributor position will be a small job for whoever gets it, but I hope I can take care of them in some meaningful way. I’m pretty damn excited. 🙂

4. If you subscribe to my newsletter, you probably already saw those photos of me up there (a testament to how few photos I have of myself…we gotta use repeats!). I got a couple questions about the big ol’ glasses I’m wearing, which were sent to me from a sweet little company called Firmoo. The glasses are good quality and they have a bunch of styles to choose from. They also have a promo where you can get free glasses if you pay for the lenses. In case you want to be a hipster like me. *grin*

5. I’m going to Catalina Island next weekend! Have you heard of it? It’s a tiny island off the coast of California. I went there once a looong time ago with my family, so it will be neat to see what I remember. Cars are restricted on the island, so everyone gets around in golf carts. Paul and I are inordinately excited about this. Who wouldn’t want to cruise around in a golf cart?

6. Can we just marvel at the cuteness of Monja? His 2nd birthday is coming up on October 14th! What should we do to celebrate? I was thinking of going camping for one night at a local park. He’s never been camping, but cuddling with Monja in a tent sounds oddly adorable and fun. You can see what we did for his first birthday here. Also, random, but very necessary side note: every night, Monja lays next to me on my bed. He even uses the pillow on his own accord. I think it’s the cutest thing, like he’s my furry little human who just wants good neck support and eight hours of sleep.

7. Sometimes I forget how young I actually am. When I glance around the blogging and online world, it can be easy to feel behind when so many others are doing incredible things — writing books, creating product lines, hosting huge events, etc. But then I remind myself that I’m only 25, my blog is less than two years old, and I’ve been running my own business for only 11 months full-time. It’s easy for me to get wrapped into everything and forget that in many ways, I’m still a newbie. I wonder what I’ll be doing a year or five from now. I sincerely hope it has everything to do with the things I’m doing now, I can tell you that much!

8. I’ve been doing a lot of blog consultations and I wish I could accurately convey just how much I love them. Since I work at home alone most days, I don’t always get to chat with other people, so having this new outlet to connect with someone as passionate about blogging as I am has been such a fun, neat adventure. You know that feeling when you’re out and someone asks you a simple question, like “excuse me, do you know how to get to 4th street?” and you’re like “HECK YEAH I DO.” And then you give them directions and they’re super thankful because they’ve been lost for ages and you feel on top of the world because you were able to use all that bundled-up knowledge in your head to actually help someone and…well, blog consultations are kind of like that. 🙂

9. I’ve been wanting to mix up my style more lately. I feel like I have a LOT of clothes and wear about 15% of them. I think it’s time to get rid of things and find some new staples! I actually tried out StitchFix, hoping it would be my style savior, but didn’t like anything that I was sent, so I’m not sure I’d use it again. I love the things on my Pinterest style board, so I might start there! How would you describe your style?

Let’s catch up! What’s been on your mind lately?