On My Mind | Vol. 6 - Purely Nora

Can you believe that it’s October? I literally can’t. I feel like I just wrote my last On My Mind but then I sat down to write this one and realized so much has happened since then!

I’ve contemplated expanding the series, or trying to do it more frequently, because I really enjoy the format. For me, On My Mind has been an incredibly helpful tool during these wacky months, serving as a way for me honor and process the past, relish in the present and look forward to the future. And while I have a daily journaling practice that I truly enjoy, this monthly reflection feels different and is something that I really love sharing with you! It’s a practice I highly recommend, whether you share it or not.

Anywho, I’ll keep noodling on the frequency but for now, let’s delve in 🙂

WORD OF THE WEEK | Growth. I feel like I’m experiencing a lot of hard but necessary growing pains, mainly stemming from inevitable changes, necessary transitions and simply being an adult. Something about moving clearly triggers a lot of feelings for me. As does packing. But I also think it’s been a beautiful opportunity to acknowledge and release feelings, give away excess stuff and simplify our life in more ways than one. My storyteller passage this morning really said it best, so I’ll share those words with you in hopes that they provide comfort and reassurance for you, too.

A chapter may be closing, but you’re still here, and the story isn’t over yet… Today looks different from what you planned a year ago, and this is also true: through every change, now you know, the morning sun still shines. The moon still illuminates the evening sky. And every day, you are starting to see: love is still boundless and so much greater than you imagined it to be. You’ve had to say goodbye to so many things, and yet, here you are, still finding peace. Still pursuing growth and wisdom, as each chapter of your life continues to unfold. – Morgan Harper Nichols

LOOKING BACK | September was a whirlwind! This past month we came back into the city, did lots of fun end-of-summer things (outdoor drinks! outdoor eats! ice cream cones!), celebrated my 33rd birthday (the freaking best day I’ve had in a long time) and shared our plans for leaving the city at the end of October. It’s hasn’t been easy, but in our hearts we know we are doing the right thing. In the meantime we created a pretty solid bucket list (that I keep adding to) and have been checking things off one by one! Here’s where we are so far:

Some things I’ve added: take about around Manhattan, watch the sunset from the west side and and visit the Make Up Museum.

ONE THING I LEARNED | My nighttime routine needs some work. I’ve managed to get my morning routine to a good place, but evening is another story. I’ve always been a nightowl and have struggled to fall asleep (mainly because I rarely feel sleepy and have racing thoughts as soon as my head hits the pillow). Honestly, I think it comes down to actually practicing proper sleep hygeine methods and holding myself accountable: no screen time before bed, using my diffuser, reading and maybe even evening yoga. The last one is something my chiropractor recommended and I’ve yet to do consistently, so perhaps by sharing here I’ll be more apt to make it happen!

WHAT I’M EXCITED FOR | Really soaking in the next few weeks in the city we love oh so much and crushing the rest of this bucket list! Creating and executing it has brought me so much joy during a pretty tough time. No matter what each day is like, I find I always have something to look forward to! I honestly can’t believe we haven’t a picnic yet – it’s on our bucket list for this weekend and next weekend we will find the best GF pizza!

Once we wrap things up here, I’ll finally be able to focus on alllll of the fall things. Since I’m riding high on bucket lists, we decided to create a fall focused one, too! Most of what’s on our list so far is more rural-focused and easily accessible once we’re in our new location. As a result, I’m finally starting to feel more excited about the move. Again, having something to look forward to makes all the difference! Will share the fall bucket list soonly 🙂

On a separate note, I’m really freaking excited about the new Beautycounter launching over the next few months! Several fabulous fall sets are being released next week and I’ll be sharing the scoop on Monday. Want to stay in the know about all things Clean Beauty? Sign up for my Clean Beauty email list here for exclusive content, resources and promos!

ONE THING I’M PROUD OF | Switch to Safer September! Okay this was something I’d been wanting to do for months and I finally did it. Every Sunday in September I’ve posted a new installment to the series, with the goal of helping you navigate clean living in a manageable way. I started with sharing my why, then how to get started, followed by the main ingredients to avoid and why and a skincare practice that’s saving my skin.

At my core, I believe that all beauty should be clean beauty, everyone’s health matters and our products should be helping us, not harming us. I’m so passionate about doing the research and sharing what I’ve learned and this series has really energized me for the better. My commitment to you is to continue with my weekly posts through the month of October (and hopefully beyond!). If there’s anything you want me to cover, please comment or shoot me a note!

SNAPSHOTS | Some unedited #lifelately highlights from my camera roll…

morning views / proper Bean / back at our fave spot

NYC COVID precautions / my best batch yet / Brooklyn views

B and his neon wrap, freshly back from the ER / Birthday shenanigans / Washington Square Park

fall flowers + snuggly fleeces / BK bridge at sunrise / post-bike diner food

SoHo streets / CP walks / signs of fall!

BROWSING, READING, LEARNING, LISTENING | I’ve been ALL over the place with my reading and learning these days!

Our book club finally finished White Fragility by Dr. Robin DiAngelo. I’ve read some interesting articles about the book – for and against – and I understand both perspectives. Personally, I’m glad I read it, and I think it’s a good place for white people to start (especially more close minded individuals) but I know it has to be part of a much larger Anti-Racism education. When it comes down to it, DiAngelo is white, and hers is just one perspective. As I continue my Anti-Racism education, I firmly believe that it is critical for me and others to predominantely engage with works by Black Anti-Racism educators and activists. With that in mind, our book club just started I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown and I’m excited to dig in.

I did finish a couple books this month but in lieu of chatting about them here, I may just update my Everything I’ve Read During Quarantine post with all da deets. I’m still reading It Starts With The Egg by Rebecca Fett and two other books that I started earlier this year (but put to the side when I delved into Anti-Racism work): The Wellness Project by Phoebe Lapine and Untamed by Glennon Doyle. Stay tuned for more thoughts on these in the coming weeks!

As far as podcasts go, I’ve been really into Kara Lowentheil lately. She’s a feminist confidence coach that focuses on thought work. I mean, her podcast is literally called Unf*ck Your Brain, which speaks to me deeply. Elsa sent me one of her pocasts about self care in early 2019 and I’ve been hooked every since. I’ve learned so much about myself through Kara. It’s not always easy or comfortable to examine my thoughts so intentionally, but I think it’s worth it. Some of my favorite epsidoes are: Trust, Taking Responsibility for Other People’s Feelings, Boundaries, Resisting vs. Allowing Negative Emotion, Anxiety and Control, Self Improvement Shame and Getting Over Guilt.

I’m also thinking about taking Lisa Olivera’s new course, Cultivating You. It focuses on creating a more nourishing relationship with yourself – something I am always working on. If you’re not familiar with Lisa, you should be! She’s a Marriage and Family Therapist who shares a tremendous amount of insight on Instagram. I find her words to be incredibly thought provoking and use her journal prompts often. This would be in addition to my weekly therapist and couples therapist sessions, of course.

That’s all for now! Happy weekend, friends!