Instagram going down this week was reassurance enough that I should have this space to call my own, but I’m glad to say I didn’t feel the impact too strongly. I missed connecting with friends who I’d just gotten back in contact with, and I missed using it as a tool to find out what was going on in Charlotte that day. But ultimately as it was only down for a short amount of time I just went back to working on upcoming blog posts and moved on with my day. I would be pretty bummed if Instagram went away for good because of the ways I like to use it, but I honestly wish I could untether myself from Facebook. If it weren’t for Facebook Marketplace or announcements about the virtual Zumba classes I sometimes take, I would delete my account for good.
I read something once about how differently Millennials and Gen Z treat social media (that I can’t seem to find again because there are a million different articles comparing the two generations) – that Millennials view our social media presence as separate from real-life, and Gen Z views their online presence as their real life. Which of course makes the results of studies highlighted in the media this week all the more frightening.
Now that I’m back on Instagram using my blog account, I’m trying my best to use it mindfully and to notice how it makes me feel. Last week I felt excited at seeing lots of new babies in people’s feeds, I felt hungry for all of the wonderful food from Charlotte’s local restaurants, I felt like I was “in” on a new discovery, and, yes, I felt discontent, too. I noticed that my phone seems to no longer take “good enough” photos to post in my feed and that my home feels dark, dingy, and unstylish. It definitely takes an active internal dialogue to combat those feelings, reminding myself that a new phone isn’t in the budget and that it doesn’t seem worth upgrading a home that doesn’t belong to me. And it also takes getting offline, too.
Last weekend was TuckFest at the Whitewater Center, a multi-day outdoor extravaganza. I’m not athletic enough to participate in the trail races or paddling challenges, but Michael and I did attend one of the many yoga classes throughout the weekend. Yoga is free, and it’s in such a beautiful space; I love ending the class in Shavasana just looking up at the trees. I also attended a tour of Art in Transit hosted by our public transportation authority and a local Meetup group, which took us on a tour of public art along the light rail. The city dedicates 1% of the construction budget to commissioning artwork for each new stop, which some might view as wasteful, but I absolutely love. If it has to be functional, why not make it beautiful, too?
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Even with those unique activities, last week was somewhat of a weird week. Just as a warning: this post is kind of all over the place, so thanks in advance for reading and sticking with me!
Reading
Well, I finished The Listening House this week, and I started a new audiobook, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. I enjoyed The Listening House from cover to cover, but frankly, I’m not sure I’m falling as in love with Eleanor as everyone else seems to be. I wonder if that has more to do with the reader than the content – right now listening to Eleanor’s dialogue is grating – or if it’s just early in the book. I can’t not finish a book, so I hope my opinion changes. Next on my nightstand is Sally Rooney’s Beautiful World, Where Are You, which I’m almost nervous to start. It’s due back soon, though, so I’d better get cracking.
Some interesting things from around the internet:
-This makes me glad we only had a mouse in the house once (Meow effectively chased it off), and not a mouse with wings.
–Oh, so this is all it takes.
-A legend was in town and no one noticed.
–Neat.
–Please let me win this…
-My gift-of-choice for birthdays lately has been gift cards to this website, where friends and family can order food from special places all over the country without leaving home (that’s my referral link – we’ll both get credit if you buy something).
-What do you think of Cuyana’s System Tote? I think it might be great for someone starting university or entering the workforce for the first time, but I can’t see myself buying it in addition to the bags I already own.
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Charlotte
It’s a fun time of year to be in the Queen City! It seems like there are festivals just about every weekend; last night we walked to Uptown to watch Better Than Ezra, Tonic, and Collective Soul as part of Speed Street. It was my first time seeing live music in almost two years, and it was a bit of a surreal experience. I couldn’t have picked a better opportunity to attend a live show though – it was outside and not at all crowded. We were pretty close to the stage, but even without marked spots on the grass, we were about ten feet away from the next person.
Food-wise, I very rarely visit chains if I can help it, but last week I ended up at two: Emmy Squared, which just opened in Plaza Midwood, and Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee at the Novel LoSo. I, for one, greatly enjoyed my pizza, unlike this person on Reddit. I don’t know when we’ll be back to either, though, because there are so many places I still want to try. It’s hard to balance trying new things and returning to old favorites. There are only so many meals in a day, and so many dollars in my bank account, you know?
We stuck with our weekly free workout from Volofit, and I’m proud of us. I’ve noticed I have an easier time sticking to a fitness routine if it’s located close to my home; it’s much easier to find an excuse not to work out when the gym is far away. The HIIT workouts are really challenging, but I like the feeling of accomplishment when it’s over. It’s good, too, because I haven’t been out walking as much in my neighborhood with the gloomy weather we’ve been having.
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Home
Last weekend I made a “quick” run to IKEA for another pair of these underbed drawers. In our last two rentals, there was only enough space in the bedroom for just one set of drawers to open, but in our current rental, the room is wide enough for both sides to open fully. These storage cases fit perfectly into the sections of the rolling drawers, and I picked up a few as well. Meow enjoys climbing into the drawers to lay on top of our freshly laundered sheets; I hate that the bags are plastic but they’ll at least prevent us from constantly having to re-wash everything. As for the “quickness” of the IKEA run, I tried to order these items for curbside pickup and it took over thirty minutes of waiting in the car for the items to be delivered to us. I think next time I’ll just go inside and pick the items myself.
As I’ve been shuffling items around to place in the under-bed drawers, I finally decided to tackle my side of the closet as well. The setup of our closet is awkward, it spans the width of our room, but a large section of it is taken up by a big HVAC duct. We each have a door to access our “sides” of the closet (two doors that don’t at all match – but that’s a gripe for another day), and I’ve been using an old wreath hook on the back of my door to hang the clothes I planned to wear that day. That leaves a bunch of wasted space, so I combed the internet for back-of-the-door organizers and found this one that suits my needs best. The wire baskets are a little smaller than they look in the image, but there’s enough space to hold my belts, gloves, clutches, wallets, and small scarves. I’ve primarily used the hooks for pulling clothes out to tuck away, pulling my outfits for that day, and hanging a tote bag that acts as my laundry hamper for hand-wash items. I like to wash those items a few at a time, but no more than that.
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Beauty & Style
I painted my fingernails for the first time in months a few days ago. I almost always keep polish on my toes, but I’m so hard on my hands that the color never lasts long. I’ve had pretty good luck so far with this self-administered manicure – and the color makes things feel a little more autumnal even when it’s 80ºF out. Also, last week I tested a product as part of L’oreal’s Consumer Testing Panel (I’ve been a member for years – the compensation is minimal, but I find the whole process of product testing fascinating), and just mailed the unmarked sample back. I’m not supposed to disclose any information from the study, but I always wonder which products on the drugstore shelf I’ve had a say in…
As for my closet, for the first time ever I packed away a decent-sized section of my wardrobe. Some of the items are warm-weather items I won’t reach for until next year, some of them are office wear I’m not currently using but still want to keep, and the rest are garments that no longer fit. I’m giving myself until the spring to see if my body continues changing; if not, it’s time to find new homes for them (and replace some of the pieces I miss being able to wear!). Tucking them away for the time being has been really beneficial for my mental health; it’s so frustrating to pass over pieces of clothing that don’t fit.
For clothes that do fit right now, I stuck with tried-and-true formulas for most of the week. For the first time, I noticed how much the weather impacts the energy I put into getting dressed. Last weekend I reached for a fun and frilly midi-dress when it was sunny and warm, but now that it’s been gloomy I’ve focused on comfort and repeating themes. The fatigue is real, and there’s nothing wrong with wearing the same garments or whole outfits twice; I’m not sure how it got so normalized to do otherwise. I received a pair of Eileen Fisher silk pants from an eBay seller and like how they fit and feel (worn here), though I may end up hemming them. I always like taking new clothes out for a spin in short bursts to make sure they don’t do anything unexpected, like stretch out in a strange way or end up being more sheer than I thought the first time. The library was a great place to do that, and I kept things as casual as possible in a striped tee (linked to current colorway) and slip-ons (sadly no longer available). So far, so good, but I am worried they are going to snag or start wearing thin in the seat eventually. I suppose when that time comes they’ll be moved to my pajama drawer.
*This item is no longer available and linked to similar
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Next Week
Hola Charlotte is back in Uptown today after canceling the 2020 event; I think Michael and I may just walk over that way soon. And I’m currently working on a review of Misfits Market for the blog – I’ve been a member for nearly a year and will be sharing my (unsponsored) thoughts on the produce delivery service. Hello from the future! You can find that review here.
How did you feel about Instagram going down? Did you reflect on your social media usage this week?
