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June Lifestyle Favorites

July 09, 2017 by Caroline Atkinson

Where the heck did June go? No, she seriously, where the hell did it go and why did it go so fast? Okay, I say that but then I remember the first part of the month and how difficult it was for us. It feels like years ago...yet still, somehow it's as if I blinked and then it was July.

With July, comes our honeymoon!! We leave in less.than.a.MONTH.PEOPLE! -Cue minor panic attack- I am a meticulous planner and we just booked our accommodations this week, so to say I have been a little anxious is a definite understatement. John hasn't received his passport yet -fingers crossed that it comes today!!. I had to change my name on mine and John had to upgrade from a card to a book. So far we received mine last weekend and we have yet to see his... so again, *fingers crossed*!! Anyways, we will be in full speed ahead honeymoon planning/prep all of July.  

Oh and by the way, I forgot to mention where we were going! For our honeymoon, we are going to... drumroll, please... London, Rome, and Dublin!! I still can't believe that it's actually happening. (Probably why I haven't done much for it yet...) John was determined to go to Europe, which I thought would be impossible considering we could barely afford our wedding. However, thanks to generous wedding gifts and cheap flights, we are making that dream a reality.

To be honest, at first, the practical part of me was like, "Caroline... what are you guys doing?? Shouldn't you guys be saving that money so that you can move to Chicago like you have been planning??" And to that part of me, I say yes. Yes we absolutely "should be" However, if last month taught me anything, it's that life is short and sometimes you just have to go for it when these opportunities arise, even if it's not the most responsible thing to do...right? :) I don't know, it sounds legit though and I am sticking with it. Plus, my wanderlust is out of control and Mamma needs her fix. 

The plan is to go to London for four days, Rome for four days, and then we fly out of Dublin. The Dublin part is totally random but for some reason, it was cheaper for us to fly from Rome-Dublin-Miami than it was to just fly from Rome to Miami. What I didn't take into consideration was how stinking expensive it is to stay in Dublin. Did it save us money in the long run? Maybe a little. Is it turning out to be more trouble than its worth? So far yes. However, plus side, we get to spend an extra day exploring Dublin so bring on the scotch! Or is it whiskey? I literally know nothing about Dublin, so note to self: research Dublin.

We are starting to look into excursions and etc so if you have ANY recommendations, please let me know. London has been on my bucket list since I can remember so I plan on doing as much as we can during the four days that we are there. Realistically, this is our first and may be our only trip to Europe for a long time, so we want to do all of the cliche things. Yea, we are probably going to be "those tourists"... I even bought a fanny pack (or a bum bag for the Europeans)...it's happening and I hate myself already. 

Any-wwhooo, back to the real reason that I started writing this post. I didn't have any new beauty favorites for June. However, I did have some new lifestyle favorites.  

In June...

I Binge Watched:

Orange is the New Black Season 5

The girls are back ya'll and they are literally kicking but and taking names! (Don't worry, no spoilers here.)  I LOVE this show. The writing, the characters, the actors, it's all fantastic. To be honest, I wasn't sure where they were going with this season, but it was a goodie and they definitely left is with another cliffhanger. Danielle Brooks was and is an absolute goddess. Her character arch was heartwrenching and she played it effortlessly. I also love me some Crazy Eyes and as always, Uzo had some really good moments. My only real complaint is where the hell did Sophia GO?!  Laverne, PLEASE come back to us because I need more of you in this show, thank you love. If for some reason you haven't yet, I highly recommend checking out Orange is the New Black. 

-Anne with an E

Now, this one is a little more random and it's definitely not going to be everyone's cup of tea. I use to read the Anne of Green Gables books when I was younger and I remember loving them! I'm pretty sure I also saw the play at some point too. So when I was looking for new shows to binge, I decided to check this one out. It's definitely a little quirky but I really enjoyed it! I don't remember the books in detail, so I don't know how "accurate" it is from that standpoint. I really liked the actors, especially Amybeth McNulty's performance. She was very believable as Anne.  It was also shot beautifully. Overall, I recommend trying this show. 

I Read:

Love, Life, and Elephants: An African Love Story

I am and always have been obsessed with elephants. They are my spirit animal and I have the deepest love and respect for them. They truly are the most magnificent and intelligent creatures on the planet. My dreams came true last August when I got to visit South Africa and see wild elephants. I literally burst into tears of joy and it is hands down one of the best days of my life. I saw this book when I was skimming Audible and obviously, I had to check it out. (I read anything I can about elephants) I am so glad that I did because it was an absolutely beautiful book. Daphne Sheldrick tells us her life story and talks about how she has dedicated her life to conservation and the rehabilitation of African wildlife, especially elephants. Her compassion and passion for elephants rings very true with me and thanks to her story all I really want is to leave everything behind so that I can move to Kenya and work for the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. If you love animals, Africa, and conservation then you will love this book. 

 I Listened To: 

The Lady Gang

I have actually been listening to these ladies for a while now, but I really wanted to mention them in my first lifestyles favorite. Every Tuesday the Lady Gang comes out with a new episode and they do not disappoint! I love these girls, they are really down to earth and funny. I also really like listening to their interviews. They get some pretty cool guests and they know how to have a good time. Their new episodes are always a nice little pick me up during the week. I really recommend checking them out.  

 I Found:

xAmeliax

I came across Amelia's Youtube channel towards the end of the month and I have been binge watching her vlogs ever since. She seems like such a down to earth and fun person and I really enjoy her content. Also, I am very impressed with how she has built and how she runs her own business! Basically, I'm a huge fangirl and I want to be best friends with her. #creeperstatus 

I Got My Fitness On With: 

Body Combat & Zumba

About 6 months before our wedding, John and I started to go to the gym regularly and we hired a trainer for a session once a week. We worked out butts off and together lost a total of 60lbs! Since then our fitness journey has started to fizzle out and I have been finding it very hard to find the motivation to go to the gym regularly. I still felt like I had a little farther to go before I got to my "goal weight" (I hate that term) and I still didn't feel strong or fit. I decided to try some group fitness classes at my gym and now I am HOOKED! I love the Zumba and Body Combat classes. They are such a blast and I really feel like they kick my butt by the end of class.  I have found that I have much more motivation when I am in a group setting. The Zumba takes me back to my college days of dance rehearsals. It is so much fun, I always feel a release of joy when I am doing Zumba. The Body Combat is REALLY good cardio and I feel like a Power Ranger when I am in this class! :) There is something so empowering about punching and kicking like that.

 

July 09, 2017 /Caroline Atkinson
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