What's New With You? Linkup #21

I want to start out this post on a bit of a serious note.  A lot of really bad, awful stuff happened this month in the world.  It seems like every day (pretty much this entire year) the news is full of horrible events that have happened, both natural and man-made, and it just makes me feel a sense of fear and helplessness.  I'm lucky to have been able to stay out of danger and have all of my loved ones stay safe as well, but I know a lot of other people (maybe even some of you reading) aren't as lucky.  Even if I don't talk about it on social media every time something happens, you're all in my heart and prayers, and if there's anything that I can do to help out, please contact me.

One thing that this year has taught me is that life is uncertain and you never know what's going to happen when you wake up in the morning.  With that in mind, I'm trying to (as cheesy as it sounds) live life to the fullest, not take things for granted, and let the small stuff roll off my back.  It's hard to be upset about trivial things when you know people are actually struggling out there!

With that in mind, I wanted to share a few things from September that made me happy or made me feel grateful. I always try to keep my blog as neutral as possible, so I'm not here to tell you what to think or who to call- I'm just here to try to make the few minutes you stop here a little brighter.  With all of that said, let's get to the post!

Running

For me, running has always been a mental escape and form of therapy for me, and since I'm training for a half marathon (which is coming up SO SOON) I've been running a ton this month!  Training is still going really well, and I'm happy to say that I've been crushing my weekly speed workouts and long runs.  Most of that is due to the fact that I've been running with friends, which really helps keep me motivated.  Lately I've been working from home once and week and using that day to run at a nearby park with Jessie, and it's amazing how much better speed workouts go when I run with her (even at 6AM) than if I go alone.  The power of group runs!

Penn State Football

I'm not really into NFL anymore (for multiple, non-political reasons), but this season I am all about Penn State Football!  I've been a fan practically my entire life, since my grandparents and parents went to Penn State.  I remember watching games as a kid, listening on the radio, dressing up in blue and white every Saturday, going up to State College to watch live games, and all around having my weekends centered around The game.  They're all really happy memories, especially now that I'm an alum myself.  This season has been absolutely amazing, with the team being in the top 4 in the country and having some really exciting games.  This week we take on Northwestern, and I hope we stay undefeated!

Cross Stitching

I've had it as my goal for a while to be more creative and work on projects, and this month I finally picked something to do.  Cross stitching has always been a fun activity for me, because it's pretty fool-proof, mindless, and has an amazing end result.  Lately I've been sitting down at the end of the day to work on a new project (which I hope to share soon) and catching up on some shows.  Which leads me to....

Fall TV

I don't know what it is about this time of year, but I think the best TV shows are on in the fall.  Maybe it's because the weather is getting colder and more people are staying in, but there are so many good things on right now!  This Is Us, The Voice, Dancing With the Stars, and Project Runway are all my favorites right now, and I also just discovered some re-boots that aired earlier this year (Love Connection and My Kitchen Rules), so those have been fun to watch while I cross stitch.  I also finished Game of Thrones (so good!!!) and Big Little Lies (amazing), so I think I'm done binge-watching shows for a while.

Breweries

I got to check off another brewery on my "Tour de Beer" list this month- Shu Brew.  This has been on my list for a while because I've heard really good things about it, and it's just a short and nice drive from my house.  I went a few weeks ago with Alexa, and we stopped at their second location (which is where they brew the beer, the main location is more of a restaurant) while there was a live jazz band playing and a fire going.  I learned that it's a dog friendly place, and I loved how low-key it was.  I felt like we were at a friend's house hanging out!  I'm definitely going to go back again soon (in fact, I'm thinking of stopping by this weekend for the release of their pumpkin beer if any locals want to come by!)

Paddle Boarding

I love, love, love to spend time outside, and feel the best when I'm near or on water.  There's something so calming about bodies of water- whether it be the ocean, a river, a lake, or just a little stream.  A few weeks ago I got my own paddle board, and have been using it a ton (thanks mostly to the unseasonably warm weather, even as we're into October).  I've found myself using social media and spending time indoors less and less lately (minus my cross stitch TV hour)- maybe as a way to "live life to the fullest" or just take my mind off of things.  When you're out there, it's easy to feel peaceful and clear your mind.



Your turn...what's new with you? 

An InLinkz Link-up