At the start of every month, I collect and review some of my favorite things from the previous month for you! Expect articles, podcasts, recipes, recaps from the blog, updates on my personal goals, and more.

Let’s get started!

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ARTICLES

• One Thing at a Time: This might be one of my favorite articles of all time—and the concept is so simple it seems obvious: if you want to find success, focus on one thing and one thing only. Think about it: if you decide your 1 goal for a certain amount of time is to start a blog, every single thing you do and decision you make will be with that goal in mind.
• If All the “How I Get It Done” Articles are Making You Feel Guilty, Here’s How to Deal: I definitely fall into the trap of reading so many different books and articles about productivity that I can feel overwhelmed. But, this sentence really put things into perspective for me: “Seek out role models who have ways of working that feel right for your life and realize that other peoples tips are subjective, so read those articles with a selective eye.”
• 13 Things You Should Give Up If You Want A Better Relationship: I loved these personal suggestions that can be hard to implement at first, but will definitely transform a relationship. First up for me: eliminating the need to always be right.
• 12 Productive Things to Do When You Have Time to Kill Between Meetings: Having an extra few minutes in between meetings or calls can be either refreshing or frustrating. Give one of these tips a try and you’ll definitely experience the former.

VIDEOS

• How to Schedule Your Day and Find More Free Time: This video has 5 quick tips that are all easy to understand and apply to your days. One specific point she made really got me thinking too. She asks would you spend your money the way you spend your time? Would you give away your money to anyone who wanted it or would you budget for what you needed first? (10 Minutes)

OTHER

• Zen As F*ck: August was a hell of a month and I stumbled across this journal on a day where I was feeling pretty overwhelmed and needed a good laugh. I decided I would buy the book as a treat for myself and went to Barnes & Noble to get myself a copy that day–and I am so glad I did! ($10.90)
• Clean & Clear Morning Burst Face Wash: A friend of mine let me borrow her face wash this summer after a day at the beach and I absolutely fell in love. The day I went to go buy myself a bottle in the store I discovered it came in a cucumber scent and I was immediately hooked. This is great on my skin and the smell is so fun to wake up to in the mornings. ($5.49)
• Bath and Body Works “Focus” Aromatherapy Body Wash: I have been a fan of the aromatherapy products at Bath and Body works for as long as I can remember. I absolutely love all of their products in this series and after I finished my last bottle this month, I decided to try a new smell–and man, am I happy I did. This combination of eucalyptus and tea is amazing and I’ll definitely be buying it again. ($13.50)
• Calvin Klein Modern Cotton Sheets: Diego and I don’t usually don’t spoil ourselves, but the day we found these sheets and added them to our registry, we knew we we had to have them. Not only are these the comfiest sheets we’ve ever had, but they’re light and super soft. I will recommend them to anyone who will listen. (Also, we didn’t realize that these are just the flat sheets, so make sure you buy the fitted sheets as well.)  ($50.00)

NEW FROM WITH CHERYL

• You May Not Be an Introvert OR and Extrovert (and a quiz!)
• Stop Making Excuses
• Get Inspired by #BlogHer18 Creators Summit
• July 2018 Wrap Up

BOOK REVIEWS

• Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

MY GOALS

AUGUST GOALS IN REVIEW

1. Morning Routine everyday after August 6th

• Not Done. I wish I was writing that I completed this goal, but the reality is life was pretty crazy for me this month and I let myself sleep in the mornings to make sure my body got the rest it needed. While I have gotten back on track and completed my morning routine about 15 days this month, I was hoping for better. September is a new start though!

2. Daily Download at night

• Not Done. Because of the crazy days that I mentioned with the previous goal, I was in bed much later than usual most days this month, which meant I was sleeping the second I got under the covers. I did learn that getting into bed with a candle, some piano music, and this “Daily Download” was a great day to wind down though and I will be making it a part of my day going forward.

3. Make it through at least half of my saved Pocket articles

• Done! Man, did I have a lot of articles to read, but I’m so glad I got through so many. About 150 down and 150 to go. Fingers crossed I’m successful again next month.

SEPTEMBER GOALS

1. Finish the second half of my saved Pocket articles

2. Morning routine 20 out of 30 days this month

3. Maintain my schedule at work