Tag: 40

Dirty Hippie

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Today is going to be an exhausting day but I’m here for it. It’s currently 7:30 am on a Saturday morning and I’m sitting in a coffee shop in Durham, NC. I’m about halfway into my 3 hour drive to East Carolina University for a workshop. This coffee shop stop hits #32 and #18 on my 40 things list.

The atmosphere of this shop is totally laid back and just plain cool. They have a chalkboard wall, perfect for children, in the back with a sign promoting a weekly storytime. There is local art hanging on the walls. An eclectic mix of tables and chairs with plenty of seating inside and out. Trendy, coffee shop music playing overhead. Knowledgeable and helpful baristas. And a variety of local fare for sale.

I ordered an iced Dirty Hippie – black tea, cold brew, farm half and half and simple syrup. I also enjoyed the Mama Mia – a plain bagel with jalapeño cream cheese, tomato, and cucumbers. I grabbed a carrot Muffin for later.

Everything was delicious and the perfect fuel for my long day. If you’re near Durham and haven’t tried Bean Traders Coffee, add it to your list. I hope your Saturday is equal parts relaxing and productive. I mean, we all need balance in our lives.

Ashley’s 40 Things

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I finally finished my list of the 40 things I want to spend this year completing. Let’s talk about these.

  1. Re-launch blog – Well, here I am. I’ve worked on this blog, on and off, for years. Its always been something I wanted to keep up with. This year I’m determined to make it a priority.
  2. 120 books in 2023 – Pretty self explanatory. I have multiple challenges I’m working on. You can read about those here.
  3. More ARCs – This is one of my challenges but simply put, I want to read and review more advanced reader copy books.
  4. Post to socials more – I’ve gotten away from this since we closed our retail store but I want to spend more time posting to Instagram and Tik Tok.
  5. Fitness Plan – I would like to find something that I can stick to. I’ve spent the last few years in pain and that has kept me from moving my body the way I need to. I had surgery on both my shoulders during the 2021-2022 school year and I’ve spent a year in physical therapy. Now that my arms are mostly healed, I need to get back to working out regularly.
  6. Skincare routine – I do not typically wear makeup but as I age, I need to focus on at least moisturizing my skin more.
  7. Quarterly treat – When I was taking college courses a few years ago, I treated myself to a massage after each semester’s exams. I want to get back into the habit of treating myself to massages or pedicures.
  8. Bra fitting – Everyone needs a proper fitting bra, enough said.
  9. Hiking boots – I would like to invest in a quality pair of hiking boots.
  10. Comfortable shoes – I have serious trouble with my feet. Apparently I have tendonitis in both Achilles. So, I am constantly on the search for a pair of comfortable shoes.
  11. My color wardrobe – I want to slowly start incorporating more clothes in my wardrobe that are on my color palate.
  12. Better sleep – I rarely get enough sleep, I need to make quality sleep a priority.
  13. Re-pierce nose – My nose piercing closed up while I was in the hospital for my first shoulder surgery.
  14. More time outside – I love being outside but I find myself cooped up inside with way too much to do.
  15. Nashville, TN – I want to spend at least a weekend in Nashville taking in the sights.
  16. Camping w/Matt – I want to take a camping trip with my husband, no kids.
  17. 25 hikes in NC – I want to go on 25 hikes in various places in my home state.
  18. Monthly food spots – I want to check out a new food or coffee spot each month.
  19. Veggie garden – I want to have a huge vegetable garden this year.
  20. Porch herb garden – I’ve tried to plant an herb garden outside my front door before but I neglected it. I want to grow my own fresh herbs.
  21. Drink more water!!!!!
  22. Family Photo Shoot – Before my kids start leaving for college, I want to do a fun family photo shoot.
  23. Pay off loans – I have two loans (car and person) that I want to pay off this year.
  24. Clean out my closet – This pairs with #11. I want to throw out (donate or sell) anything in my wardrobe that does not look good on me or fit.
  25. Camping as a family – I want to go on a handful of camping trips with my kids this year.
  26. New front door – We desperately need a new front door and screen door.
  27. Attend a conference
  28. Do yoga on the beach
  29. Board game night – We have a few dozen board and card games and we usually only play them when we are camping. I would like to devote a night each month as a family game night.
  30. Watch the sunrise – This might happen on one of my many hikes or on the beach as I do yoga, but it will happen.
  31. Take in a play
  32. Try new teas – The title of this blog inspired this one. I can also possibly pair this with #18.
  33. Tattoo – I have been wanting to get a couple tattoos for a long time. This year, I will get at least 1.
  34. New car – New to me car! I’ve never bought a new car and I do not see myself doing that now. I have something in mind that I’ve been wanting for a while.
  35. Guitar – I wanted to learn to play guitar a few years ago and then I started having trouble with my hands. I had surgery on my right hand and shots in my left shortly after getting a guitar. Then, my shoulders started acting up.
  36. Go kayaking – My husband took me kayaking when we first starting dating and I loved it. Then, my shoulders started acting up. (Do you see a pattern here?)
  37. New phone
  38. More time on Etsy – Etsy SEO has always been a beast I haven’t quite figured out. I’m selling more handmade / upcycled items on there, so I would like to devote more time to figuring out how to best utilize this selling platform.
  39. Visit an art museum
  40. Stick to a budget

Well, there they are. As I start dissecting and completing these, I’ll be posting about how it’s going. Let me know if you have any questions or want more details. I remember my mom telling my once that her 40s were her best years. I’m determined to enjoy this year and I want to embrace getting older as my 40th birthday grows nearer.