Tag Archives: goals

Oct17

Fall Hiking Spree Success!

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Fall Hiking Spree Success!

Hello! There are countless amazing Metro Parks in the greater Akron area to hike, bike, and swim at. My brother and I try to visit one at least once per week as hiking is our favorite form of exercise. Every year, the Metro Parks hosts a hiking spree in the spring and fall and we completed both of them for the first time last year. We have been most excited for the fall hiking spree to come back around again and finished the last of our eight required hikes this past Friday. It felt so awesome to set this goal, commit to it, and earn our prize: A new shield for our hiking sticks! Here is our newest 2025 addition:

The fall hiking spree runs from the first of September to the end of November and we finished our challenge in five weeks which is pretty good. In fact, it would have been earlier but your girl had to get her hair done! But that’s neither here nor there as we were just happy to finish the hiking spree before the weather got too chilly. During our hikes this year we visited new paths and old favorites. We enjoyed seeing the first changing colors of the leaves and lots of wildlife. On one of the hikes we saw SEVENTEEN turtles posted up across three different logs. It. Was. Awesome! We also viewed blue herons, frogs, and a tiny garter snake that I thought was a worm lol. 😀

Going on hikes with my brother is so much fun that it doesn’t even feel like exercise and I can tell that our regular walks and hikes our effective. Both of us have noticed a huge boost in our stamina and during one of our last hikes we didn’t even realize we walked over two and a half miles because it felt like nothing. The time together in the great outdoors is something I savor so much, especially with winter just over the horizon. When it gets too cold, we will continue our exercise in the gym. Until then, we will be squeezing in as many hikes at the Metro Parks as we can!

All we have to say is: Bring on the 2026 hiking season. We are already looking forward to three years in a row of completing the fall hiking spree!

Where is your favorite place to hike? Are there a lot of Metro Parks in your neck of the woods? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug19

App Obsessed

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App Obsessed

Howdy! I am a HUGE fan of social media and enjoy posting on my Facebook and TikTok so much. As a word girl through and through, I rarely watch TikTok videos and leave my social media intake to scrolling through Facebook. However, let’s be real – Facebook has become a massive buzzkill and it only gets worse by the day considering the political climate in the USA. Scrolling for fun became doom scrolling and I just couldn’t take it anymore. So, I post a bunch of BS, avoid what upsets me like the plague, and call it a day.

Normally, my social media time is when I get home from work and Johnny is playing video games. We’ll do our own thing, chat about our day, and then go on to having dinner and watching our favorite shows. With my usual source of entertainment on the outs in the past couple of weeks, I have been left with nothing to do but twiddle my thumbs. It’s hard to cozy up in my favorite chair with a book when video game noises are reverberating throughout the living room! So, I decided to do something different and downloaded a couple of apps called Finch and Flutter. I had seen several ads for both of them when I was on the hunt for funny memes on FB and figured it couldn’t hurt to give them a go. I’m so glad I did because I have been LOVING them!

Let’s start by discussing Finch. Finch is an app that revolves around mental health and well being as you care for a little bird. After you download the app, it does a mental health screening. What are your challenges? What would you like to improve? Then, it creates goals that revolves around that which will help your bird grow, earn points, and go on adventures. For example, if you struggle with focus, one of your goals might be to turn off your phone notifications when you are working. If you are working through anxiety, your goals could include doing some breathing exercises which the app will walk you through. It’s pretty cool!

When I was little, Neopets was the website to be on and my siblings and I were obsessed with it. In fact, I can remember racing each other after school to the computer room to be the first in line to check on our virtual pets. Having Finch is really like having a pocket pet or Tamagotchi and it hits right in the nostalgia. It might not have the best games ever like Meerca Chase but it is still a lot of fun and fulfilling too! It feels good to check off goals as you complete them and I do feel better when I use it. As a caffeine queen, I have several goals a day to drink more water. And when I spend my mornings working on the computer, stretch break or stepping outside goals come in very handy. It’s nice to check in with my little bird every day and I always look forward to when my Poppy comes home from her adventures to tell me about her new discoveries. Highly recommend! ❤

The other app I have been using daily is called Flutter. Long story short, you are in a lovely forest that plays the most soothing music and your goal is to fill it with moths. You can expand your surroundings with the points you earn, decorate it with flowers and mushrooms to attract different species, and nurture your moths by feeding them pollen and leveling them up. There are challenges to complete like missions the wise owl in the forest sends you on, growing mushrooms for the resident ant, and feeding a gigantic frog fireflies to earn flowers.

Flutter is extremely mindless but incredibly pleasing. Your forest and the music is absolutely charming and it’s nice to watch your moths flit about as you wait patiently for a new one to grow. It’s exciting to continue leveling up because your moths just keep getting better and better and you can learn all kinds of interesting facts as your insect encyclopedia expands. Flutter is definitely not as goal oriented as Finch but I still really enjoy using it. So much so, that I haven’t even tried their butterfly or under the sea expansions because I am so invested in my forest! 😀

If you are sick of doom scrolling during your spare time, I cannot recommend giving Finch or Flutter a try enough. It has been a welcome change of pace from my usual routine!

What is your favorite app? Have you used Finch or Flutter before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug6

Summer Breeze OOTD Bloopers

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Summer Breeze OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Summer Breeze OOTD! This little look was worn for a Date Day with my main squeeze and it was a fabulous time! It was also a fabulous fit too and we made the photo shoot work despite the heat. It was seriously hot AF and we were sweating buckets by the time we made it into the restaurant we went to for lunch. But, hey, that’s show biz baby! Take a peek at some of these yikes shots and let’s discuss an update on one of my summer goals that didn’t work out so great:

Straight up CACKLING at something or other Johnny said. Look, mom, no cavities!

FE FI FO FUM

Literally blinded by the light (Revved up like a deuce another runner in the night)

Using my arms for the first time

Easy, Breezy, Beautiful Lil Red

LMAO at this face

Peep these PANTALOONS!!!!

As you all know, I simply REFUSE to get my vividly dyed hair wet to keep that color fresh until my next hair appointment. Because of this charming quirk, it makes the activity of swimming literally impossible and is more like wading and treading water instead. I have always said that if I ever were to swim swim, that I would get a swimming cap and have never done so… Until my trip to Idlewild Park and SoakZone with my family. I wanted to swim in the pool at the hotel with my littles and live it up at the water park and was not going to let anything get in my way!

After our first day at Idlewild, I was determined to hit the pool as soon as we got to the hotel to give my bright purple swim cap a test run. Within five minutes, my bikini was on, my hair was safely tucked away under the cap, and I was ready to do this thing! I jumped right into the pool and started front stroke, back stroke, and breast stroking away. I was swimming laps like it was my job and it felt so great! After a half hour or so, I was wiped out and made my way back to the room to see how the swim cap fared and… it didn’t. My hair was soaked and I was PISSED. -_- (Also I learned that swim caps weren’t made to keep hair dry which is something I should have Googled in advance SMFH. Such a good idea in theory!)

As I lamented in the bathroom and brushed out my wet hair that was bleeding color profusely, a small silver bag by the hotel provided toiletries caught my eye. It was a shower cap! Since the swim cap didn’t do NOTHING, I figured I might as well give the shower cap a go at the water park the following day. And you know what? It worked like a charm! In fact, I was getting compliments on my hair left and right at SoakZone because everyone could tell exactly why that shower cap was on to begin with despite me sticking out like a sore thumb. A shower cap might not be the move for actual swimming but it did the job perfectly at the water park and that was good enough for me!

Even though my swim cap idea was a bust from its conception, it still felt amazing to swim and major ups to the shower cap for coming through in the clutch. VERY NICE!

What is one of your quirks? What is your favorite summertime activity? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May25

Spring Hiking Spree Success

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Spring Hiking Spree Success

Hello!! My neck of the woods is gifted with countless beautiful Metro Parks to hike, bike, and explore and I love visiting them with my brother. We got extremely into hiking about a year ago and even completed the Fall Hiking Spree together for the first time. The hiking sprees are exactly what they sound like – hike at X amount of parks in a certain amount of time and get rewarded with a new shield for your hiking stick. We had so much fun achieving this goal and were most excited when a Spring Hiking Spree was announced. I am pleased to report that we finished this challenge this past week and I think we saved the best hiking trail for last!

^^^ Giving ALL the Shrek vibes

our final hike for the Spring Hiking Spree, we visited a Metro Park called Sand Run for a trail we have never been on before. This was no ordinary trail, however, but a Parcours! As we hiked through the scenic woods, we shortly came across a numbered wooden sign that walked us through a work out for arm circles. Rather than bypass it, we completed the advised reps and decided to do so for every sign we encountered. The work outs started out easily enough: Leg lifts, toe touches, torso twists, and balance exercises and it was honestly really fun to see what we were going to have to do next. It almost turned the hike into a game and it was so different than any other trail we have done before.

As we made our way through the lengthy woods and exercises, we began to notice a huge increase in difficulty. The trail was winding and the work outs were getting intense. We’re no longer talking toe touches but push ups, chin ups, hand walks, and vault jumps. I am not sorry in the slightest to say that we bypassed those lol! Eventually, we got out of the woods and the end of the hike was upon us. Or so we thought! We ended up on a bike trail that took us past a huge swamp that was serving so much Shrek and then we were back into the woods for another good twenty minutes to complete the trail. We were exhausted by the time we finished our work out within a work out but both agreed that we would love to do the Parcours again!

My brother and I finished our Spring Hiking Spree right in the nick of time because it has rained every day since. We can’t wait to get back on the trails once they dry out!

Have you gone on any good hikes recently? Where did you go? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May8

Take A Hike!

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Take A Hike!

Hello! In my neck of the woods, we are blessed with an abundance of beautiful Metro Parks to hike at. In fact, there are more than I can count in just a ten mile radius from where I live. It’s awesome! There is nothing like a good, brisk hike on a lovely day and I am always with the best company during my adventures: My big brother! Last year, we completed the Fall Hiking Spree for the first time together and we were genuinely sad when it was over. We enjoyed visiting old and new to us trails so much but by the time the spree concluded, winter was well on its way and we moved our workouts to the gym.

After a long winter with minimal outdoor walks, we could not wait to hit the Metro Parks as soon as the warm weather hit. And, we are simply delighted by the fact that there is now a Spring Hiking Spree!

The Hiking Sprees are exactly what you think they are: Those who want to participate receive a list of different trails throughout the county, there is a minimum amount you have to visit, and a reward like a pin or a shield for your hiking stick is gifted at the end. It’s basically just hiking lol but there is a goal and because my brother and I are extremely goal oriented, it is the perfect activity for us. It’s exciting to work together to achieve something and we really do look forward to our weekly hikes.

While there are several trails on the list for the Spring Hiking Spree that we are familiar with, we bypass those for new to us locations. It amazes me that some of these trails are a hop, skip, and a jump away and we have never been! This has opened our eyes to brand new experiences all in our own backyard. Of course, the Hiking Sprees are an excellent reminder to get active. However, it also serves as a reminder that while Ohio can be boring AF, it sure has a lot of beauty and I feel lucky to have access to all of these wonderful Metro Parks!

We have four hikes to go until we complete our Spring Hiking Spree and I cannot wait to see where we end up next!

Does your neck of the woods do a hiking program similar to mine? Where is your favorite place to hike? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar12

Spring Cleaning In Small Doses

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Spring Cleaning In Small Doses

Howdy! During my last bout of Spring Cleaning, I had a GREAT SUCCESS because I located one of my favorite tank tops that has been missing for literal years. It was a simple black tank top by Rachel Zoe but it fit so perfectly, went with everything, and was one of my go to tops in the summer. I truly thought it was gone to the world and was beyond happy when I uncovered it amungst the clutter. I have to admit that, since then, my cleaning only went as far as necessary chores but I got back into the swing of things this weekend, baby! I have been using the Small Doses approach to get my apartment back in tiptop shape and this is what has helped me because, let’s be real, Spring Cleaning can be kind of overwhelming:

First Things First:

Sometimes, you just might not have the energy to clean and that is okay! If you planned on deep cleaning after work and had a long day, relax instead. At this point, one more day or two isn’t going to make a difference and you can get back at it better rested. This is something that isn’t worth beating yourself up about so take care of you and you can take care of the rest tomorrow. I have been really worn out recently and every intention I had of cleaning after work went out the window. At first, I was definitely mentally berating myself lol. However, this wasn’t doing me any favors and I made plans to clean this weekend and followed through.

Baby Steps:

I have been cleaning little by little and I love the instant gratification I feel from it. It’s so rewarding and it makes me want to clean more! I also find that I achieve a deeper, better clean when I focus on one thing at a time. I start by targetting one area that I would like to see improved and go from there. This past weekend, there were three things I wanted to do: Clean the bathrooms, clear off my catchall kitchen table, and clear through and consolidate our bedroom closet. I did two of those tasks on Saturday and completed my list on Sunday. Despite the fact that these were smaller chores, the difference was so noticable and it felt good!

Donate/Trash Liberally:

What is your spring cleaning goal? Is it a sparkling home from top to bottom? Getting your yard in pristine condition? In my case, my main goal is clearing clutter. Listen, Johnny and I are packrats lol. After being together for over five years, we have compiled a lot of stuff and we simply don’t need it. By establishing my objective, it definitely made it easier to add to the trash/donate bags and create more tasks with my goal in mind. This is why my next items on the To Clean list are going to be clearing off our coffee table and TV stand as well as going through our multitude of clothing to donate.

Regular Upkeep:

I like the Small Doses approach because I think it’s totally easier, but also because it gives me a chance to make better choices with the upkeep. Doing a little bit at a time helps me establish good habits with what I have already done and gives me the opportunity to practice them before adding something new. For example, after getting home from work I put everything back in its proper place rather than all over my catchall table. I am also putting all of the clothes away immediately after doing laundry to prevent any pileups. Once again, small chores but a big effect!

Spring Cleaning isn’t just about cleaning, but about making better habits too. I am really happy with my progress so far!

Have you started any spring cleaning? What is your least favorite chore? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar5

Girls Night!

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Girls Night!

Hello!! One of my New Year’s Resolutions was making more time for friends and fun and I am doing pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. My goal to achieve this was to have one outing per weekend with friends, family, or Johnny. Aside from a handful of lazy weekends, I have been crushing it and it has helped make my life feel fuller – especially considering that I used to have little to no work/life balance. This weekend, I had a girls night with a friend that I knew from high school but started hanging out with this past year thanks to our mutual bestie. We had a glorious night on the town planned until those plans fell through. Plan B was just as glorious, though!

Originally, my girl and I had grand plans of going to the Cashmere Cricket. Like literally everyone in the greater Akron area, this charming martini bar is our favorite. In fact, it’s where Johnny and I had our first date and celebrated our engagement! The Cashmere Cricket has the best food and drinks and the move was to go there for Pickle Martinis and their heavenly Grilled Cheese Dippers. We had been talking about it ALL week and were counting down the minutes until our food fantasies could come into fruition on Saturday. With a pep in my step, I headed to the bar to score us a booth and the joint was jumping. It was packed to the gills and a table wouldn’t be available for several hours later. Talk about a bummer!

Blessedly, there is always Plan B because the best Mexican restaurant ever, El Meson, is right up the street from the Cashmere Cricket. Like the Cricket, El Meson was hopping and it felt like everyone in our neck of the woods had the exact same plans as us! As luck would have it, we got one of the last tables available and were able to eat, drink, and be merry. This was actually a special occasion because my friend just had her second child and this was her first drink after the fact. It made me feel so good that she wanted to share in that with me. ❤

It was an honor to treat her and we did it up with margs and a surprise shot. Our delightful waiter randomly put shots on our table and we weighed our pros and cons. My MAJOR con was that the last time I took a shot at a bar five years ago I threw up immediately SMH. I have never taken a shot since but, hey, when at El Meson. I am pleased to report that it went down smoothly but 5/10 would probably not do again! Sometimes, Plan B just ends up being even better than what you originally had in mind and I don’t think we would have been getting random shots at the Cashmere Cricket! 😀

Cashmere Cricket will definitely be next on our agenda because we now know we should make reservations lol. I cannot wait for another fabulous Girls Night!

What is your favorite local bar or restaurant? What is a perfect night out for you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb16

Gym Bunny Update

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Gym Bunny Update

Howdy!! In November of 2024, I began making weekly visits to the gym with my brother. It was the first time I stepped foot in a gym since I was a teenager and, I’m not going to lie, I was pretty nervous. However, my brother wanted to improve his health and I wanted to support him so we became gym buddies. We have been going every week since our first visit and I am crushing one of my New Year’s Resolutions of maintaining that. I look forward to our work out every week and I am so happy that my big bro and I are committed to branching out of our comfort zone together.

My goal for going to the gym isn’t about getting jacked but toned, instead. I can most definitely feel the difference, especially in my upper body. Prior to working out, I had no upper body strength whatsoever and using the machines that targeted those areas felt like torture. But guess what? It got easier every single time. In fact, I have increased my reps to twenty-five on each machine I use and it was so exciting to have that undeniable evidence that I was making progress. The shoulder press still gives me a lot of grief, but I felt really proud of the fact that my reps on the other machines that I used to dread were completed with ease during my last visit.

I never had any interest or desire to go to the gym prior to making this change with my brother and it truly has become a source of fun. We love to see the familiar faces as we make our rounds and it’s encouraging to be in a place where everyone is there to improve themselves. If you are considering going to a gym or if you would rather chop your arm off than step foot in one – just give it a try! If you don’t like it, you don’t like it but it never hurts to try something new. I certainly fell under the “would rather chop my arm off” category and I ended up surprising myself.

As an extremely goal oriented person, the gym has turned into something incredibly appealing to me. I have found that the goals I have been setting are achievable and it feels great to meet and surpass them. The jury is still out on when I will try to increase the amount of weight on the machines. So, my focus remains on steadily upping my reps. My next number I’d like to get to is thirty-five and I know, without a doubt, that I can do it. And that is a beautiful thing!

As soon as the weather warms up in Ohio, we will begin incorporating some laps in the pool into our work out routine. I simply cannot wait but the first order of business will be finding an excellent swim cap to protect my colored hair!

Do you like to go to the gym? How are your New Year’s Resolutions going? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan18

Ladies Lunch

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Ladies Lunch

Hello!! I decided to actually make New Year’s Resolutions this year and I am pleased to report that I have been crushing. So much so, in fact, that I even added a new goal to achieve. My primary focuses are to continue going to the gym, firmly saying “no”, making more time for friends, and taking better care of my teeth. Every weekend since, I have had some type of outing with friends or family and I really do feel better for it. With a crazy demanding work schedule, it almost seemed impossible to make time for fun over the weekend because I was too dog tired. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still tired lol but now I feel like my weekends are a source of pleasure rather than counting down the minutes to my next shift.

This past weekend, my outing was to take my sister, Kristen, and three sweet nieces out for lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant, El Meson. It is the absolute best and a staple in my neck of the woods. I am always craving El Meson but the hankering was especially fierce as the Mexican restaurant we went to as a family for Christmas did nothing for me. So, I invited my girl squad to a “vanity lunch” so I could squash my cravings and get some quality time in with my four best girls.

Like myself, my girls live for Mexican food so our lunch was the perfect set up to eat, drink, and be merry – and did we ever! My eldest nieces went to town on queso and rice while Kristen and I opted for our usual vegetarian platters. We even toasted with her first drink since having my littlest niece in November and the Margaritas treated us just right! They always do, as did our favorite server who takes care of us every single time we have a lunch or dinner date. Dining at El Meson is forever fantastic, but he makes it that much better.

During the entirety of our Ladies Lunch, I couldn’t stop thinking about how lucky I was. This was my second weekend in a row that I got to spend time with the bestie squad! Prior to making my New Year’s Resolution, I honestly couldn’t tell you if I would have been up to those outings. And, I’m not going to lie, it is taking effort on my part to get myself out the door. However, once the plans are in action, it’s nonstop fun and that is exactly what I need. I even went out to lunch with a friend during my break on Tuesday!! Who am I and where is the normal, never does anything Lil Red?!

Ladies Lunch was a great success and I can’t wait to keep adding more plans to my agenda. It is making my life feel much more full and I am loving it!

What is your favorite local restaurant? What is your favorite kind of outing with friends? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan12

Extra New Year’s Resolution

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Extra New Year’s Resolution

Howdy!! I have never been one for making New Year’s Resolutions, but this year I made three: To keep going to the gym, to be better at saying no, and to make more time for friends. I am pleased to report that I have made good on all of those so far!! I had my first gym visit of 2025, I have been firm in saying no and not taking on more than I can handle, and I have made lots of fun plans for outings with my friends, nieces, and Johnny. I know we’re barely into 2025, but I am really proud of myself because these goals are not just empty words – I am actually doing it!

As I was feeling particularly inspired by my progress, I decided to add a new goal for myself after a trip to the dentist this past Wednesday. In case you don’t know, I had an oral surgery that went terribly wrong. It resulted in a lot of issues, particularly with my gums, and only intensified my fear of the dentist. Since all of that, I have been working diligently at reversing my periodontal disease. In fact, during my last appointment at the dentist, I only needed a regular cleaning rather than a deep gum cleaning. It felt like I was finally getting on the right track and I was thrilled.

At my appointment on Wednesday, I was a bit disappointed as my gum measurements weren’t as good as they were before. I had a decent amount of twos and threes, but way more fours than I remember. My hygienist reassured me that everything was still looking healthy. However, that just wasn’t enough for me and I knew I needed to reevaluate my oral health. Before I headed home, I announced that at my next appointment in May, I am going to have WAY less fours. My hygienist encouraged me and told me she knew I could do it and I can’t let myself or her down.

That night and every day since, I have been paying extra close attention to the technique of my brushing. My findings? I got LAZY after not needing a deep gum cleaning! The difference I felt when I was actually paying attention to brushing my teeth was night and day. This confirmed that I do have the technique down, but I need to make a real effort to fully commit to it. Challenge accepted because I’m crushing my resolutions so far so I know I can do this too!

I am expecting excellent results at my next dentist appointment in May and I think I am well on my way to achieving it. New Year, kind of New Me!!

Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions? How goes your progress? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah