I am constantly thinking about how to make my health better — by eating well, drinking lots of water, exercising …. the last one is probably the hardest one for me. Because I’m more prone to stick to an activity if I make it a (written) goal, I added #walk20in20 to my #20for2020 list (a huge thanks to Gretchen Rubin for starting this challenge).

Research makes it clear that exercise provides a great boost for our health. It helps fight heart diseases, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer, and other illnesses we are dealing with in the 21st century. Many of us, however, are stuck in a sedentary lifestyle. If that’s you, would you consider joining me for a daily walk? Even 20 minutes a day make a huge difference. You’ll find yourself much happier and energetic.

I know some of you will ask, “Are there really benefits to plain old walking?” Yes! Check out these articles written by people much knowledgeable than I am:

“Why Walking Is the Most Underrated Form of Exercise”
“5 Surprising Benefits of Walking”
“Why Walking Is Good For You”

Wanting even more information? I would highly recommend the book “The Joy of Movement: How exercise helps us find happiness, hope, connection, and courage” by Kelly McGonigal. Kelly doesn’t tell us why we should exercise but instead shows us how to fall in love with movement.

Ready to join me for a walk? Leave a comment or use the #walk20in20 on your social media.

Happy New Year and a New Decade! Though 2019 brought some amazing moments, I am more than ready for the clean slate a new year brings. If you’ve been around for some time, you might remember that after reading Gretchen Rubin’s Better Than Before book, I created a 19for2019 list. I will try to come back to that list and assess my success (spoiler alert: it did not go as well as I wanted it to!). Now that I know what I did wrong last year, I am ready to show you my #20for2020 list!

1. Read through the entire Bible — I’ve always wanted to try to do this in a year, but I’ve never really gave it my best effort. I’m hoping that by making it one of my goals will help me achieve it (Upholder here!).
2. Blog at least 3 times a week — This one was on my list last year, but sadly it did not happen. I started working on my Masters and it was quite overwhelming. Am I setting myself for a failure? Maybe… That won’t stop me from trying though.
3. Reduce waste — I know that this is not something most of my fellow Christians care too much about. In fact, I have received various non-positive reactions from people around me when talking about the environment. Nonetheless, I am making a vow to use less plastic to conserve resources, minimise pollution, and reduce my carbon footprint.
4. Run at least twice a week — This one will be hard. I absolutely hate running and I literally run out of breath in about 2 minutes. This is why I’m not setting a distance or speed goal. All I’m wanting to do at this time is to put my trainers on, go out there, and do my best.
5. Read at least 75 books — I managed to read 60 books last year and I’m kind of proud of myself. I love tracking my reading on Goodreads and I feel like it honestly helps me read more. If you’d like to follow me, you can do so here.
6. Finish a Creative Writing course — I really wanted to finish the whole specialisation last year, but I simply did not have enough time. For my #20for2020, I am wanting to completely finish at least one of the courses in the specialisation. The next one I’m supposed to take is called “Crafting a Character” and I am so excited about it.
7. Complete at least 2 exercise challenges — I actually participated in one of the Blogilates challenges and I loved it. It only takes couple minutes a day, but you will see the difference. Lately I’ve really enjoyed doing yoga so that might be the core of one of the challenges this year.
8. Cut out sugar and processed food — Though I did much better last year, I want to truly take the plunge and do what is good for my body and the environment. I want to participate in Meatless Mondays and follow a plant-based diet. I can’t wait to share some of my favourite recipes with you!
9. Join a book club and read every book — I really enjoyed the books picked by Gretchen Rubin and Elizabeth Craft for their Happier Book Club, but I did not read every single book in their repertoire. Couple weeks ago, I also came across Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine book club and looking back at their book choices, I think I would really enjoy being a part of this particular club. I will update you later to let you know which book club I am joining.
10. Record each day by taking a photo with the 1 Second Every Day app — I actually got this idea from Gretchen Rubin’s #20for2020. Because I often forget to take pictures, I think this will be a great tool for creating a meaningful video of my year to look back at.
11. Memorise a whole chapter in the Bible — Thanks to one of my friends, I did really well on memorising Bible verses last year. For my #20for2020, I want to memorise an entire chapter. I’m sure whatever the chapter is, the Lord will use it in my life.
12. Listen to all of the “Happier” and “The Slow Home Podcast” episodes — Though I love podcasts, I never remember to actually listen to them. I’ve already taken the first step in achieving this goal and listened to the first Happier episode of 2020.
13. Try a new recipe each month — This kind of goes hand in hand with my clean eating goal. In 2020, I will try to be more open-minded about recipes and ingredients that I’ve never tried before. For example, I really want to incorporate Spirulina into my diet.
14. Put electronics away by 8:30pm — When it comes to electronics, I’m a true Millennial. I never leave my iPhone behind, and my iPad and Macbook are never too far away. To better my sleep, I will try to put all electronics away by 8:30, and read a book instead of staring at a screen.
15. Walk at least 20 minutes every day — This one was actually inspired by today’s Happier episode. Gretchen and Elizabeth both vowed to walk for 20 minutes every day in order to improve their health. Though my days are already so busy, I really feel like investing 20 minutes of each day into walking is a great way to burn a little bit of calories and clear out my head.
16. Create a photo book — Though I would love to do some scrapbooking, I definitely do not have time for this hobby (at least not at this point in my life). Thanks to today’s technology, creating a photo book is super easy and fast. Definitely something I can do!
17. Visit the Farmers’ Market at least once a month — This one is also a step toward a more sustainable lifestyle. Buying your produce from local farms is a great way to support the zero-waste movement. Knowing where your fruits and vegetables come from is also very important.
18. Go on a hike — I was going to put a number with this one, but I feel like that is not necessary. There are many beautiful trails in East Tennessee and I want to make an effort to hike at least a couple of them.
19. Visit a new place — I still really want to go to New Orleans, but I’m not sure that it’ll happen this year. Nonetheless, I want to visit a place I’ve never been to … no matter how far or close it is.
20. Update my media kit — Several companies have recently contacted me about a potential collaboration, but my media kit is outdated. Not good!

So, here it is! My #20for2020 is completed and you all have become my accountability partners. Have you made a list for this year? Leave a comment! I would love to see it.

Even if you wouldn’t consider yourself an “OG” reader of this blog, you might know how much I love the Ultimate Bundles. Besides the Homemaking Bundle (more on this one at the end of summer), the Ultimate Productivity Bundle is my most favourite! I mean, let’s face it … who doesn’t want to be more productive?

What Is In This Year’s Bundle?

As you can see, no matter whether you are a college student, entrepreneur, homeschooling mom, or just someone who wants to be more productive, this bundle is perfect you! You must hurry though! The bundle is live only for the next two days!

Having lived in America for quite some time now, I have been told many many times that I was “so European.” Well, I am… but what does that actually mean? I decided to compile a list of some things that in my opinion make Europeans … well … European.

It’s always time for tea.

Bad break up? Tea will make it better. Stressed? Have a cuppa? Bored? Nothing a cup of tea wouldn’t fix. Need I say more?

You have mastered subtle insults.

Sarcasm is in our DNA and we have mastered the art of insulting people without them even noticing. It’s a win win situation. Am I right?

You actually like marmite.

I’m not kidding. It’s delicious. I do have to admit something though. I love watching my American friends taste Marmite for the first time.

You tend to overshare.

When talking to a friend (or even a stranger in Tesco if you’re on your period), we really have no filter. Very few topics are off limits. Sorry not sorry.

You know who the real queen of baking is.

Were you crushed when Mary Berry decided to leave the Great British Bake Off? I was too. Thanks to the internet, however, her recipes are one google search away.

I would love to hear from you! What do you think makes Europeans European?