My Cozy Fall Night Routine 🍂

As the seasons change and as it gets darker earlier, I find myself wanting to incorporate a routine of rest and relaxation. I feel like this is especially important, considering the stress of life. These are the things I’ve been doing this fall season to help me relax and bring me that warm and cozy feeling.

Do a quick tidy up

Even if you’re sitting at a desk and it doesn’t seem like you’re moving things around, you’d be surprised how things seem slowly move out of place during the workday. It usually only takes a few minutes, and I like knowing that my workspace is reset and ready to go for tomorrow.

Unplug for a while

I feel this is especially important if you are working from home or have been staring at a screen all day. Take a few minutes or more to get away from your screens and do something else. When I do this, I start to feel a little bit better, and it sets me in the mindset of moving on to something else.

Get outside

If I haven’t had the chance to get outside yet, this would be a perfect time. Typically, I go on a short walk, and it’s been great to de-stress and unwind while getting exercise. It also gives me a chance to clear my head with no distractions.

Eat something good

After a long day of hard work having, a delicious meal feels well deserved. I usually have an idea ahead of time on what I’m going to eat for dinner. Let me know if you’re a planner too, or do you just wing it? With this fall season in mind, I’ve personally been enjoying a lot of hearty, comfort foods. This roasted parmesan rosemary potato recipe has been an amazing side dish! What are your favorite comfort foods?

Clean up

After eating a good meal, I like to clean up right after, doing the dishes and cleaning surfaces used for eating or cooking. After that, it’s usually a good time to do my skincare routine, where I will use skincare products that feel like a treat for my skin. I like the Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial Mask for exfoliating. Or I’ll use the Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Charcoal Mask if my skin is breaking out. Since it is getting colder, I’ve been using The Ordinary Plant-Derived Squalane for some added moisture. My skin feels great after using this product. I’ve finally used it up, along with some other products, which you can read about here. After this, I like to put on some comfy clothes, and by doing this, I really feel like I can relax.

Read or watch

By this point, I’ll usually either read or watch something entertaining. I recently re-watched the Harry Potter series. There’s something about that series that makes me think of fall, and I know I’m not the only one. But I’ve currently started reading World Made by Hand by James Howard Kunstler, and while I’m not too far in, I’d say it’s interesting and slightly creepy. If you’re looking to read a dystopian novel, check this one out. What have you been reading lately? I’m always looking for recommendations!

And of course, with cold and chilly evenings, hot drinks are necessary. I’ve discovered this caffeine-free Orange Spice tea from Good & Gather, which you can find at Target. I also like drinking apple cider and hot cocoa – the classics.

And like my workspace, I like to make sure the things I’ve used this evening are put away and that my space is cleaned up and ready for the next day before heading off to sleep.

What is your favorite part of your nighttime routine? Thanks for reading!

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A Short List of Books I’ve Loved This Year

I wouldn’t say that I’m a voracious reader, I don’t always take the time to do it. But this year I discovered some great books to recommend. Self-help and non-fiction books are not normally genres that I gravitate towards but these two genres were all I read this year. If you haven’t read any of these books I suggest picking one, two, or all of these titles up.

Soulful Simplicity: How Living with Less Can Lead to So Much More by Courtney Carver: This book was a nice reminder that having more, more, more isn’t the answer. Carver has a practical minimalist approach and the book does guide you to take steps to curate a life with less stuff but also finding value in what really matters to you. I found Carver’s feelings of discontent relatable and her story inspiring in a non-cheesy way.

Quit Fast Fashion & Build Your Conscious Closet by Verena Erin Polowy: This is an e-workbook designed to help you rethink your existing wardrobe and reconsider your shopping habits. The useful activities, tips, and encouraging tone of the book make the goal of an ethical wardrobe achievable. This a great book for you if you are new to the “slow fashion” concept and are not sure how to be good in a world that is filled with damaging fast fashion. Verena also has a great blog and a YouTube channel that are both dedicated to ethical fashion and lifestyle.

Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham: I’m a big fan of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood so I definitely had to read this book at some point. It’s a fun read and Graham’s personality really shows in the words. I especially loved the chapters about her beginnings as an actress as well as excerpts from a diary that she kept while filming the Gilmore Girls revival. The one negative I have to say about this book was that I wished she had gone into a little more detail in many of the stories she was telling. Even so, I would 100% recommend if you’re a fan.

Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping by and Get Your Financial Life Together by Erin Lowry: I think that I’m saving the best book for last. This book was a great self-help book on personal finance. It definitely appeals to a certain age group (obviously). I found it an informative and easy to follow guide to get your finances in order. The book is also structured in a way that allows you to skip chapters you don’t find relevant (I’d recommend you read the whole thing anyway). If you’re cash-strapped and living paycheck-to-paycheck this is a great read to help you take those first steps in managing your finances. While I’m no expert in finance, and I’m fortunate enough to not be completely broke there are topics covered in this book that I was really in the dark about. This book sheds light on those areas and I’m hoping to take the information learned from this book into the new year and continue towards a goal of better understanding and control of my own finances.

These are the books I would recommend you read, I believe they will stand out to you as they did to me. Have you read any of these books yet? What did you think of them? And please let me know your book recommendations, I’m interested in finding more titles to read in the new year!