The last six weeks have been painful for me. Moving is tough. It’s even worse when movers don’t communicate, break your things and charge you double the original estimate. Finding a new place to live can be stressful. Things escalate even more when your move in date was a little bit of a moving target (no pun intended.)

We are now about 80% moved in and unpacked. Our new dining room table came but it’s damaged and we need to find some chairs for our desks, but things feel normal and comfortable now. This week is going to be the first “normal” week in a while, so I’m focusing on a little extra self care. With the stress of the last month, I’ve acquired an eye twitch, neck pain and a giant zit right in between my eyes (so I’m calling it my 3rd eye.) All of these things are most likely tied to stress. Therefore, I’m focused on a little self love and some serious slowing down.

So I’m listing out the things I need this week:
1. A trip to the library. I need books to read while curled up on my couch under a nice soft blanket.
2. Yoga. I need to stretch and take some quiet minutes sometime this week to do a little deep breathing.
3. Face masks. I need to do a little detoxing of my skin and this charcoal mask is my favorite.
4. Writing. I have so many blog posts in my drafts about our last few weeks in NYC, the things I’m excited about being back and some thoughts on our current state of humanity. I just want some quiet time to pound away at the keyboard.
5. Afternoon dog walks. Our new neighborhood is so great for walks. The leaves are changing and we are so close to a few different parks. Plus, after a day in the office, it’s nice to get some fresh air while it’s still light in the evening.
6. Vegetables. This is my favorite seasons for veggies and I want to make all kinds of squash everything. Now that our kitchen is unpacked, I can actually put together a meal plan and stop eating out as much.
7. Sober October. We decided to take the month of October off from drinking on weeknights completely (except for a work event last week) and keep it to a minimum on weekends. It’s definitely more challenging on the weekends, but I’m excited to enjoy some quiet weeknights at home this month.
8. All other things that make me feel comfortable and cozy. Chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven, fall scented candles, bubble baths, chili, pajamas.
I’m so excited to be settling in and getting back to some sort of routine. I think our dogs are as well. If you have any good recommendations on books, movies or things I should try for my relaxation and self love week – let me know.