Happy Hallowe’en! These few days around Halloween and Bonfire night are some of my favourite of the year. The allotments near our flat are able to have garden fires and I love the smell, that chill in the air and the leaves on the ground. I don’t even need to mention the obscene amounts of pumpkin and squash I will eat!
It has been a lovely month, and I really feel that the de stress pledge I made at the start of it has worked. I might not have done as much yoga and specific ‘de stressing’ activities, but as I said back then, that was kind of the point. I didn’t want to make those things just another item on my to do list. Instead I’ve started saying no occasionally, gone out for un planned walks when I’ve felt like it, and knocked things off my to do list to make it more realistic. Another subtle shift was when I was talking about seeing things in my life as stepping stones rather than boulders, as well as a strange kind of contentment that whatever happens in my future, one way or another, will be dealt with and handled and therefore is nothing to stress about.
My Granddad used to have a saying: ‘You die if you worry, you die if you don’t, so why worry at all?’ I know that’s easier said than done, but I find a strange comfort in my Granddads words, not that I have anything major to worry about thankfully!
This month I’ve been enjoying lots of warming pumpkin porridge for breakfast…
…and lots of roasted brussels sprouts and squash for lunch and dinner…
Can’t get enough of that stuff at the moment!
I shared a few lovely recipes including:
- Coconut and Maca snack balls
- Slow Cooked Moroccan Chicken and Chickpea Stew
- Pear, Ginger and Dark Chocolate Cake
- Healthy Apple, Pecan and Maple Flapjacks
- Warm Harissa Butternut and Chickpea Salad and Taco Turkey Chilli – both part of my lunch ideas for the cooler weather post
Some of my other favourite blog posts from this month include my thoughts on one year in business and being honest about getting income from blogging, also my how to have a healthy relationship with the scales post.
I’ve done a couple of great community events, one for Sunderland University and the other at a local community arts centre earlier this week. Those experiences have definitely helped me feel more confident! We also gave the flat a few autumn touches like our foxy cushion:
As I said at the start of the month I started the Super Conscious Living Programme and it’s been brilliant! I’ll be doing a full post on it, but I really feel like it’s reconfirmed a few things for me, and just solidified the direction I was going in with my diet and exercise, as well as giving me a few reminders of things I need to keep an eye on.
Looking ahead to November, I really want to get planning for the future! There’s a lot of things I’d like to kick off in January that I need to start planning for now. I would also like to get as well prepared for Christmas as I can this month, so that I can just enjoy December.
I have blog and business stuff to plan ahead for, new community projects to plan and some personal things to plan. I really enjoy planning and find that thinking about what’s to come is really exciting! It’s how you make your dreams become a reality after all.
On a more mundane level, I have been slacking with meal planning and I’d like to get that back on track as I feel so much more organised when I do it, as well as saving on food waste. You can find a free downloadable printable meal planner on my Uniquely Healthy free resources page if you need one!
In addition to all the planning going on, I’ll be delivering my first ever courses in the community which I’m very excited (and slightly nervous!) about. We are also planning a trip down to Brighton and I can not wait! Berlin was our last break and that was go, go, go so a real chill out holiday is well needed.
How was October for you? What’s your pledge for November?
October has been crazy for me with the move to London and getting settled in, but I feel at home now. I need to do more yoga in November, I’ll be starting marathon training and my legs are unbelievably tight so I need to make that a focus! Have a great month!!
Glad that you are feeling all settled in! I do need to try and think of doing more yoga, my flexibility has already suffered!
I loved that last time you didn’t set a load of goals, and it is great that what you have started really has helped you to de-stress.
October was just so busy for me- work just got crazy and I feel like only now I have started to calm down a bit- I am hoping to enjoy the build up to Christmas. I have a 10K run in Brighton on the 17th, so I am looking forward to that and hoping for a pb, so in between then my main focus will be shorter, faster runs. The cold in the air helps me run faster for sure!
I love this time of year- I was at the allotment this morning and although it was grey and drizzly it was so nice to be outside.
This time of year is lovely isn’t it :-) We might be in Brighton on that Sunday, we are travelling down in the morning so might be around in the afternoon, will have to keep an eye out for you!
Where did October go??? Crazy! Cool that you’re going to Brighton again :) My next Brighton trip will be February next year for the half marathon. Definitely be on the look out for somewhere good for post-race eats :D
It’s exciting about the courses for the community thing. You’re clearly doing very well, I’m so pelased for you :)
I know last month just flew over! Thanks Anna, I am a bit nervous about the courses but really looking forward to them!
Woop to having plenty of exciting things to look forward to! October was a pretty awesome month for me in terms of figuring out some blog and business related things, and I’m hoping that trend continues into November as well. I’m really excited about all of the things I’ve been learning in IIN, especially since I’m finally starting to get a better feel as to how I’m actually going to approach the business side of things — something I was worried I would never get a hang of.
Happy Halloween, Laura!
That’s great to hear Amanda! I think you get to the point when something clicks and you start and get a feel for where you are going with it :-)
Well done you on achieving those goals but not getting worked up about them. I’ve enjoyed your posts this month- lots of wise words as usual. I can’t believe it’s already November tomorrow. It’s crept up on me and I haven’t had a chance to set out my own goals yet!
Thanks Emma, that’s so lovely of you to say! November does seem to have come out of no where, quite afraid how fast Christmas will arrive now!