Goodbye to the first quarter of 2023

Goodbye, to the first quarter of 2023,

and, hello, May. My plan for this year was to write a round-up post every three months, which obviously didn’t work out. Especially March was extremely busy – I did not have time to write anything outside of work. And I really just have too many hobbies.

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I’ve been spending a lot of time reading lovely books. At least that goal for the year is going great. I’m about to start number 22. I’m also about to get back into scrapbooking, and I have to work on a creative wedding gift for my brother and sister-in-law. Cause my little brother is actually a married man now. They tied the know about two weeks ago, and the big shebang is only a month away.

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Finding an outfit for the wedding has been super stressful cause what the hell is wrong with fashion these days? I am 35 years old, and never in my life have I had problems finding a dress. Nothing looks like in the pictures, everything has cleavage fit for a party at the Playboy mansion, and it’s just all so in your face. I mean, for a wedding, you can’t just wear anything. But I have something now. Not what I’d imagined, but at least I won’t be going naked.

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Speaking of being 35, my birthday was in February. I took a few days off to have a long weekend. I visited my best friend for a few days in Holland, and as usual, we had a great time. She has a scooter, and we just cruised around the city and all, looking like proper idiots. Trust me. We chilled and shopped and laughed. My birthday itself wasn’t special. I had some family over, and that’s that.

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It has been super cold, and I still haven’t packed away my winter coat, although it’s currently a bit warmer. My car is still being a little bitch, but that’s just the story of my life. I donated blood for the first time, and it went very well, so I plan on donating on a regular basis. After a million years, I took up tanning at the salon again. Mainly for the wedding cause I’m so over being as pale as walls. I know it’s not the healthiest thing, but it makes me feel so much better. And my freckles are finally out in full force again. Not planning on doing this for a super long time, though.

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I painted my grandma’s sunroom, which made her extremely happy, bought myself a puzzle board that is so much better than a mat, hung out with family and friends, and laughed a lot. I re-watched Friends (one of the best shows ever) and enjoyed lots of me-time. Long weekends are the best. There was also a lot going on at work, but gladly, everything is back to normal right now.

I tried figuring out what is wrong with my hip, which has been troubling me for a while now, but even after two MRIs and some other things, nobody really knows what’s going on. It’s annoying and painful, and nothing seems to be helping. I’m trying to ignore it for now, but I hope for a solution eventually.

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Today, I’m gonna keep enjoying the last day of a long weekend: watching movies, working on projects, cuddling my dog, and just doing things I love. I really don’t want to go back to work tomorrow, but at least it’s only a four-day week. I’m definitely looking forward to more free time this month, a big pre-wedding party, the wedding itself, and a little vacation with everyone surrounding the big day. Let’s hope for a lot of fun.

There comes a beautiful point where you have to stop trying to escape yourself or improve yourself and just allow yourself. – Matt Haig, The Comfort Book

Tons of love,
Hailey 

Möwen

Books I loved
Bonnie Garmus – Lessons in Chemistry
Holly Jackson – A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Prince Harry – Spare
Dana Schwartz – Anatomy: A Love Story
Pamela Anderson – Love, Pamela

Lovely life
cookies vacation plans having a tan waffles cute doggy clothing time with my best friend Chinese buffet physical therapy poetry cheese coffee dates good books a proper desk chair long weekends swap parties stuffed crust pizza thrift shops presents Easter chocolate making my grandma happy gift certificates Bibi Blocksberg Dunkin Donuts funny memes donating blood Let’s Dance anxiety journal Pamela Anderson snail mail Daisy Jones and the Six shapewear

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Currently… #6

gv

  • listening: The Spice Girls are talking cause I’m watching the cinematic masterpiece that is Spice World.
  • eating: Nothing, but I’ll have some pasta later.
  • drinking: Mango tea.
  • wearing: Comfortable black leggings, a long shirt, a cardigan, and fluffy Christmas socks.
  • feeling: Pretty relaxed. Just not looking forward to the weekend being over.
  • weather: It’s dark outside, but I think the usual cloudiness with a chance of rain is going on.
  • wanting: Living in a house in the woods with no neighbors in sight.
  • needing: Putting together my birthday wishlist.
  • thinking: About what to put on my to-do list for the next week.
  • enjoying: All the time I spend reading books.

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Goodbye to the last four months

Goodbye, to the last four months,

and hello to the new year. I can’t believe we have made it to 2023. I would say 2022 wasn’t the best year but also not the worst. Can’t believe I, once again, went through a whole season and more without working on my blog. Do people still even read blogs? And will the new year finally be the year I go back to writing regularly? Who knows…

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The last time I wrote, I was looking forward to going on vacation, and what can I say: It didn’t exactly go as planned. We went, the weather wasn’t great, and on top of that, we caught Covid. I managed to dodge it for 2,5 years – I did a lot for that – only to end up catching it while being on vacation from the person I was traveling with, who was also more on the careful side. I still can’t believe it but don’t want to get into much detail and be upset all over again. I hope I’ll get the chance to go again this year and make it my happy place again.

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Anyway, I can honestly say I didn’t just sit around doing nothing these past few months, even though I often struggle with socializing. Especially December was super busy. Overall, I attended six birthday gatherings, two work seminars, and a super fun swap party. I also did lots and lots of Christmas stuff: baking, decorating, enjoying advent calendars – so did my dog – shopping for presents, writing, and sending out cards. I spent time with my family, my co-workers, my friends. I crashed my brother’s class reunion and had a great time, even voluntarily attended some dinners.

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A highlight was driving to Holland to visit my best friend. I always miss her so much, and I just had to go for a second time this year. We had so much fun and did lots of laughing and shopping. I especially enjoyed the big second-hand store around the corner from her. We just roamed around for hours, and it also had a little café, where we had tea and cake. Hopefully, I’m going to visit again in February. We always have the best time together. I’m glad we saw each other several times after Christmas as well when she was visiting her family.

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The past three days, I enjoyed some time to myself after the busy holidays, rewatching Harry Potter, reading – my TBR pile is absolutely insane – getting a lot of sleep, eating all the Christmas chocolate, and writing a bit. Shout out to pre-Christmas-me for getting all my household things done beforehand so I could have a good time. And I really hope my motivation will last a bit and I get to experience lots of fun adventures this year. I did buy a planner, and I intend to fill it.

And what we see beyond the discomfort zone is in fact a deeper comfort. The comfort of being the best possible version of you. – Matt Haig, The Comfort Book

Tons of love,
Hailey 

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Books I loved
Taylor Jenkins Reed – Carrie Soto is Back
Jenny Colgan – The Christmas Bookshop
Gabrielle Zevin – Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Lovely life
bubble tea Wednesday Addams anxiety journal cute doggy sweaters book presents chocolate everything Christmas related candles plans Chinese food good talks puppuccino galaxy lights family time laughter advent calendars grandma’s cooking Harry Potter snail mail fried fish face masks House of the Dragon a successful shopping spree sunshine when it’s cold outside cheesecake on a stick fall fashion sprinkles Mettbrötchen Celebrity Big Brother lemon cake Christmas sweaters cheesy crust pizza swap parties strawberry jam chilling in a towel trying new things

My Instagram
Sep-Dec 2022
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New year, new me? The thing about resolutions…

Well, here we are. It’s the last day of 2022, at least as I am writing this. But I guess, once this post is online, the new year will already be here. So HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Right now is probably a good time to reflect on the last 12 months, and to figure out what you want to achieve in the new year. Then again, isn’t anytime a good time for that? But there is just something about starting new and fresh. Although I have to admit that the first day of a new year usually looks nothing like a new me, and honestly, I don’t want a completely new me – just some minor adjustments.

I did come up with some resolutions and the important thing is to set realistic goals. Sure, losing a few pounds wouldn’t hurt but I know that I won’t start dragging myself to the gym anytime soon or eating healthy. And I also don’t really care, so that’s definitely not going on the list. I have a yoga mat and a hula hoop – I’ve never used either of them. That’s how it usually goes. Working on my terrible sleeping schedule will probably also never happen. I go to bed too late, and just sleep through half the day if I can.

So I thought about what I want to achieve, what I already started but could optimize, and what would really make me happy. I made a list that I would like to share. And feel free to let me know what your plans are for this year. I hope 2023 is filled with lots of laughter, fun, and adventures for all of us.

Hello 2023

    • Work myself through the Home Edit books in hopes of creating more space – especially for more books. I’m pretty organized but one can always do better.
    • Get rid of everything I don’t want to have anymore. Which would help with the first thing on my list.
    • Less online shopping, more money saving.
    • Trying to socialize more actively and getting my new planner filled with fun dates.
    • Taking care of mental and physical health issues. And also calling in sick when feeling really terrible.
    • Read more books. I have so many fabulous ones waiting for me. Managed 24 this year, and am now aiming for 30-40.
    • Taking more pictures and maybe also improving on Instagram. I guess I really have to try figuring out reels. Man, how cool would reaching 1000 followers be?!
    • Going back to writing regularly – not just for work.
    • Working on my scrapbooks. I still have so much material from years and years of activities, and I want it all in place.
    • Relearn to properly ride a bike and even manage to take the dog with me in a basket. I did buy myself a bike in 2022 and never took it for a spin. So that finally has to happen.
    • Not letting any of my plants die.
    • Look through some cookbooks and maybe eat something other than pasta once in a while.
    • Try harder to accept the things I cannot change and not get all worked up about it.

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Goodbye July and August 2022

Goodbye, July and August,

and hello, September. I admit, I’m very late with this, but I just had so much on my plate. This time for real. And in July, not many exciting happened, so I decided to wait another month, hoping to have something to write about.

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Anyway, it’s September, which is one of my favorite months of the year. It marks the beginning of fall – my favorite season. And boy, did fall hit fast. It has been raining almost non-stop, and it’s super cold. I don’t mind too much – walking the dog in this weather is a bit annoying, though. And the switch came too fast. I’m pretty much stuck with a constant cold now. I also haven’t figured out the right amount of clothes to wear yet. I have started putting on a beanie and a scarf when going outside. Finally, it’s the season for hiding my unwashed hair again.

As I’m writing this, it is Sunday. I wanted to work on my scrapbook all weekend, but I had a reading day and a writing day instead. And the best thing is, I don’t have to work today, tomorrow, or the next two weeks for that matter cause I finally have some time off. And I really need it. While most of my colleagues had vacations during summer, I did not. Since I don’t have kids, it does not make sense for me to take my leave during summer break when everything is more expensive and there are kids everywhere. I always take a break in September, but this time, it just felt like forever to get there. And as usual, in the days leading up to it, when you’re already nothing but exhausted, people hit you left and right with stuff to do. Not fun.

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So for once, I’m in a good mood on a Sunday night. I’m planning on having a rather chill first week with running some errands, doing things like visiting my grandma or going shopping with my mom, doing some housework, reading, writing – things like that. And then, next Monday, I’m finally going on vacation with my mom and the doggy. We’re going to the place that makes me the happiest, ever since we went for the first time a year ago: Norddeich. It’s a place by the Northern Sea, and I don’t even know where to begin when describing how being there makes me feel. Pure JOY.

But back to the last two months, which were not the most interesting, as usual. If only I had a blog as a teenager. Oh, the stories I could’ve told. Probably better that they’re not all over the internet, but still. With each year I get older, I become more boring. Seriously, my grandma probably has more exciting stories to tell. And she’s 93. But I just love sleeping, watching TV, reading, writing, scrapbooking – all the indoor stuff. And yeah, I love my friends, but in most cases, we just all live such different lives, and it’s just not as easy as it used to be. And almost everyone I know had Covid in the last two months, and I’m still trying to stay away from it as good as possible. Still succeeding. Furthermore, I had massive car trouble for weeks.

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I think my highlight was a work thing. The whole firm was invited to a boat cruise with food, drinks, music, and all. I admit, I usually decide to opt out of these things, but one of my colleagues made me go, and I’m glad she did because I laughed so much that my cheeks hurt. I guess I do have to say yes sometimes. I also went to the small local fair (Kirmes) and drank beer at 3 in the afternoon. I was also social and friendly. I’m sure my parents were never prouder.

I ate McDonald’s with my grandma, and you wouldn’t believe how much joy that brings her, which makes me so happy. I hung out with my parents, and I love that I now live down the street from them. It makes everything so much easier. I enjoyed the beautiful lake that is nearby. I bought myself a bike, which my brother picked up for me, but I still haven’t taken a ride cause I instantly lost motivation and am also scared of hurting myself. I’m clumsy and haven’t ridden one in forever. I tried working on my tan but didn’t get very far. I drove to a shopping mall, went to my favorite bookstore, picked up food and Starbucks, and went back home. I attended my brother’s birthday, socialized, and had a good time.

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I drove my car a lot because I had to check if things are fixed, but that cost me my last nerve cause there was no trust there. It made me feel sick to my stomach every time I got in. It’s better now and seems to be fixed. I had a panic attack when I found a spider almost as big as my hand in my bedroom. And that seems to have triggered heart palpitations, which I know have whenever I get nervous or worked up about something. Which happens a lot. I really need my time off.

So yeah, that’s how my life has been going. Not too bad, not too great, but overall definitely ok. I’m sure we all have our moments, but I’m currently in a good mood, and I’m willing to keep it that way. At least for the duration of the next two weeks. I’m gonna try to enjoy every moment as best as I can.

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Loneliness isn’t an absence of company. Loneliness is felt when we are lost. But we can be lost right in the middle of a crowd. There is nothing lonelier than being with people who aren’t your wavelength. The cure for loneliness isn’t more people. The cure for loneliness is understanding who we are. – Matt Haig, The Comfort Book

Tons of love,
Hailey 

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Books I loved
Pipp Williams – The Dictionary of Lost Words
Taylor Jenkins Reid – One True Loves
Bella Mackie – How to Kill Your Family

Lovely life
barbecues all my plant babies 90s toys lake view beautiful sunsets McDonald’s dates with grandma scrapbooking waffles vacation planning tanning gifting bubble tea birthday cake new bike pink helmet meeting new people you instantly click with blue skies fairs crêpes self-care book stores Starbucks hanging out with friends laughing boat cruise family time scented candles fall saying yes to things sleeping until noon face masks water

My Instagram
Insta July-Aug 2022

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