OMG, I know what you’re thinking. Adriana, why did you skip August & September for your list of favorites?

There is a very good reason for that! I was a little busy during these months; please see below:

Yes, that’s right!! I just graduated with my Master’s Degree in Arts & Culture Management (!!!) and, finally, am getting some much deserved rest after three long years of graduate school.

OK, now onto our scheduled content

Just like my July Favorites blog, here’s a song (preview lol) for vibes~ I discovered this song earlier this year, but have recently re-discovered it and love it. I’m pretty sure the band was thinking of me specifically when they wrote it, too.

New Daytime & Nighttime Routines

I’ve been wanting to adopt more consistent daytime and nighttime routines for ages, but it was difficult with school and homework eating up much of my free time. Now that I’m done with school, I have been able to develop these routines in my daily life. They’re not perfect, and I am not perfect in the sense that I don’t always follow these every day, just as often as I can to develop healthy habits.

Daytime Routine

Date syrup is my go-to for waffles! It’s a lot thicker than regular syrup and has a bit of an acquired taste.

I like to keep my daytime routine short and simple so I am able to start the day’s tasks right away. After waking up, I do a few back stretches or use my foam roller (a life changing purchase, I highly recommend getting one!). Then, I eat breakfast, which can vary from overnight oats to waffles with whipped cream (the whipped cream is crucial in this recipe). After, I do my skincare routine and brush my teeth. These steps are typically followed by my morning cups of tea, green tea and chai tea. Ta-da!

As I stated, I don’t always do this routine consistently. Obviously, I still wash my face and brush my teeth daily lol, but sometimes I’ll wait until later in the morning to do this. I work from home most days so I am able to be a bit more flexible in this routine.

Nighttime Routine

This routine feels much more sacred to me. As I wind down for the day, I try to be intentional with what I do to better prepare myself for tomorrow. In this routine, I would ideally begin by stretching, journaling about my day, my nightly skincare routine, reading, and finally meditating for at least 20 minutes. In reality, I am not always able to do all of these steps. At the very least, I’ll do my nightly skincare routine, which, tragically, takes about 25 minutes.

I used to hate how long this routine takes and have tried to shorten it as much as possible (I can shorten it to just a cleanse and moisturizer application if I’m in a pickle). I have since grown to like it and view it as a necessary form of self-care and self-love.

When I run out of time, I try to do some quick stretches, my skincare routine, and then just hop into bed. I’m still working on making sure I have enough time to do all of my desired steps before bed time. It’s a work-in-progress but I’m loving the journey so far.

Overnight Oats

I know this meal isn’t trendy~ anymore anymore, but I still love overnight oats! It’s such a quick and easy way to make breakfast for the next day. I typically will make my oats with chia seeds, brown sugar, almond slices, cinnamon, honey, and almond milk. Depending on what fruit I have on hand, I like to add strawberry pieces and banana as well. This meal is perfect for me during my early morning shifts, especially on Sundays when I work at 4 am.

RXBAR

On the hunt for the perfect protein bar, I though to try out an RXBAR one fateful day at a Ralph’s grocery store. I tried the vanilla almond and the coconut chocolate flavors, and have been hooked ever since. These bars have simple ingredients listed on the front of the packaging and are a great snack for on-the-go. Although they may be a bit pricier that other protein and granola bars, I think these are well worth the price tag.

A perfect RXBAR. Too good, too pure for this world.

Blush as Eyeshadow

During quarantine in 2020, one skill I was able to practice was applying eyeshadow in a variety of different shades and styles. I’m no expert in makeup, but I enjoy experimenting with new looks and colors whenever I can. One trick I learned in October was to use makeup intended for one area of the face for other areas, specifically using blush as eyeshadow. Using the Rare Beauty Liquid Blush in the shade Grateful I talked about in my last blog post, I applied two tiny dots over my eyelids after applying dots over my cheeks and face and omg I created such a dreamy, romantic look. For an even more put together look, I apply some of the liquid blush on my lips as well. The soft red hues create a cohesive look with minimal effort and only one product used. I’m definitely making this my go-to makeup look when I don’t have time to use an eyeshadow palette with multiple colors.

Mexican Gothic by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia

Ok I think I’m behind on this one as well, but it fits in with the ~spooky vibes October brings (that I am unintentionally not bringing to this blog lol) so I had to include it on the list. Plus I actually did read this during the months of September through October. Mexican Gothic is such an enthralling book that I truly wish I could read it again for the first time. I felt like I was in the mansion with the main protagonist Noemí, experiencing the spooky and thrilling events with her. I’m not the biggest fan of scary movies and stories, but even with Moreno-Garcia’s rich detail and descriptions, the spookiness level is relatively low (aka I was able to sleep with the lights off). I also love that this book centers on a Mexican protagonist who is specifically pointed out as having brown skin. It makes it easier to insert myself as the main character! I cannot recommend this book enough.

Side note: if any of my loving readers have read this book and want to talk about it, my email and social media DMs are open!!! I’m still not over the ending!

Photo is from Amazon since I let my family borrow my book and don’t have it with me!

Journaling

For this particular month, I am specifically referencing journaling my feelings, not to be confused with journaling for gratitude or manifesting. I have different journals that serve different purposes, but this month I happened to do more journaling for writing out my thoughts and reflecting on my feelings more than anything. This is a great method for gaining clarity and working through my sometimes heavy and confusing feelings. In conjunction with therapy, exercise, and meditation, journaling has been instrumental for personal growth and working through my feelings in a healthy manner.

Meditating

Within the past few months, I started seeing a new therapist who has recommended meditating on top of our sessions. She suggested a 20-minute guided meditation video from YouTube and told me to do it every day before our next meeting a week later. The first night I tried this out, I laid on my bed (my preferred meditation position), put on my headphones, and started the video. I didn’t expect myself to fall into such a deep meditative state where I felt more relaxed than I’d ever been in my life. I even involuntarily hummed while meditating!

I shared this video with some of my friends and they recommended their favorite videos and podcasts of guided meditations as well! Since incorporating meditation in my life, I’ve noticed some powerful transformations: I’m less anxious and nervous, I’ve been able to sleep a bit more soundly, I don’t feel like I’m in a constant state of “rush” as I have felt in the past, and I’m generally nicer and more forgiving of myself for the mistakes I make.

I highly recommend trying guided meditation if you’re looking to get control of stress or anxiety in your life. If one particular video doesn’t seem to work or have that much of an effect on you, try another! I typically look to YouTube or Spotify for different guided meditation resources. I don’t really like the ones offered by the app Headspace, but maybe that’s just me. Lastly, if you find yourself still thinking about a million things during the meditation session or falling asleep, it’s okay! Meditating is definitely something that needs a bit of practice until you find your groove and what works for you.

Will you be trying any of these products and practices in the next month? Let me know!

Until next time, friends!

(Apologies for the lack of spooky vibes despite this being for the month of October. Not a very spooky person!)