As I was writing the word December in the headline, I realized one thing; December is just around the corner! The final month of the year, which is also one of my favorite months. 2020 has been a dreadful year to say the least, so I can’t wait for a fresh start in 2021! Even though covid will still very much be on the agenda in 2021, I can only hope for a better year than 2020 on many levels. But until then, I’ll enjoy everything the wonderful month of December has to offer, including christmas and new years with the family!

Here’s 5 things I look forward to in December;

Starting a new job
I’m starting a new job on December 1st and I couldn’t be more exited! I’ll be working for the Norwegian Correctional Services, primarily with inmates who are serving their sentence in their home under the conditions of electronic monitoring (with an ankle bracelet). I was a criminal justice major in college and have a great interest in the area of sentencing and re-integration, so I’m very exited to get started. One of my goals for 2021 is to challenge myself more often, gain more work experience and impress in a new job, and this is a great opportunity!

Decorate our christmas tree
This year we are decorating our first big christmas tree in our apartment! We always spend the christmas at my parents house and our apartment is not to big, so we never had a big christmas tree (we only did a small fake one). But this year we’ve decided to get a real big one! My husband and I will decorate it together and I can’t wait to bring out all my favorite ornaments and welcome the christmas season into our livingroom. Decorating a christmas tree together is such a wonderful tradition! ❤

Volunteer and make a difference
I volunteer for a local non-profit organization that helps individuals in need and it’s in seasons like christmas you truly notice the increased need for help. We collect christmas presents, stockings filled with goodies, and food donations to make sure people can enjoy a worthy christmas celebrations. It always amazes me how kind and willing to help people are, especially around the holidays. Volunteering is cause that’s really dear to my heart and it’s so rewarding to help people in my own community. If you feel like helping out, I suggest looking into different organizations in your own community.

Invite friends over for a christmas lunch
In the world of covid and all the restrictions imposed on us, it’s hard to gather people together. All annual christmas parties are cancelled and you’re advised not to gather big groups of people. I therefore decided to invite a few girlfriends over for a christmas lunch at my place, where we can enjoy delicious food and each others company. Times are strange and with all the restrictions imposed on us, I think it’s even more important to bring a few people together to prevent problems such as loneliness, depression and anxiety. By taking necesarry precautions such as no personal contact, washing your hands, and keeping an acceptable social distance, inviting a few close friends over shouldn’t be a problem.

Do some christmas baking/cooking
I love cooking and baking, and this christmas season is no exception! I always make sugar candied almonds, toffee with sea salt, the most delicious egg salad, homemade granola, and I have quite a few backing recipes I often use as well (recipes will be up on the blog!). This year I’ve decided to try out a few new recipes, including pickled onions and a chocolate almond biscotti recipe. If you have any favorite recipes, feel free to link them in the comment section below!

December, you’re more than welcome! ❤

Today was probably the most beautiful beautiful day we have had in a while; sunshine, clear blue sky and cold fresh air + my hometown is slowly getting decorated for christmas. A christmas tree is put up on the square and our local hotel is also decorated for christmas.. There is just something special about the small town vibe, I love it! ❤️🎄

This fall truly flew by in a blink of an eye and I’m so ready for holiday season!
I’m done shopping for christmas presents and in between starting a new job in December (which I’m so exited about!), I’ll try to enjoy everything December has to offer; decorating our christmas tree, wrapping presents while listening to christmas music and drinking mulled wine, do some christmas baking, and invite friends over for a christmas lunch.. ❤️ Looking back at this past year that’s been so different on many levels, it feels good to appreciate and be thankful for the small things in life.. 🙂

Happy fall everyone! 🍂😊🍁🍃🥰☀️😍
Fall season is truly magical and one of my favorite seasons! One of the favorite aspects I love about fall is the cold, rainy weather and crisp air, accompanied with warm drinks, lit candles, blankets and favorite movies. However, today was anything but cold and rainy! I took these pictures on my morning walk before work today, it was so magical! Crisp air, sunshine, colorful scenery and complete silence.. plus I was getting my steps in! Good for the mind, good for the soul! ☀️

I wish I had the whole day off to enjoy the nice weather, but I’m forever grateful that I still have a job these days.
I hope you have a great day and enjoy it to the fullest! 🙂

By judging the headline of this post, you must think that “Oh, she truly has it all figured out huh?”. Well, let me be the first one to tell you that that’s not the case at all. I don’t think anyone has everything figured out in life, ever. That being said, I’m a 33 year old woman who has lived long enough to have learned a thing or two along the way, or maybe I have just figured out what’s truly important as I’ve gotten older. Either way, I just wanted to share these thoughts with you.. 🙂

– You can do anything you want in life
– Don’t settle for less, you deserve better
– Volunteer and give back to your community, it’s so rewarding
– Find your voice and use it
– Take care of your body and mind
– Continue to invest in yourself and grow as a person
– Be kind to yourself and respect yourself
– Don’t care to much what others think of you
– Travel and explore the world
– Don’t sacrifice quality time with family and friends for work
– Take time to be grateful for the little things in life
– Be kind to other people
– Don’t waste time on people who don’t treat you well
– Spend more time outside in nature
– Always be yourself – there’s only one you
– Don’t put limitations on yourself
– Don’t sweat the small stuff, it doesn’t mean much in the long run
– Making changes throughout life is a must (because we evolve and grow)
– Finding your passion is important
– Every relationship matter (if not, drop it!)
– You don’t need everyone to like you
– Jealousy is a wasted and damaging emotion
– Change is growth
– Pretending to be perfect doesn’t make you perfect
– The past doesn’t equal the future
– Don’t be afraid of taking risks
– Where you actually live makes a difference (find your happy place!)
– Incorporate physical activity and yoga in your life
– Live in the moment
– Missed opportunities are the worst
– If you hate your job, quit
– Know your strengths and weaknesses
– Failure is not final, it’s a step towards success – it’s how you handle things that matters

These are just some thoughts that crossed my mind, all of whom makes sense to me now..
I guess we do get wiser as we get older after all! 🙂