101 in 1001 List: 6 Month Update

      It's now been over six months since I kicked off my latest 101 in 1001 bucket list! I like doing check-ins a couple times a year to see how many goals I've managed to accomplish, and to plan which ones I'd like to tackle next. I am proud of how many I've knocked off in the first six months. Definitely a strong start I think!

Kicking Off My Second 101 in 1001 List!

      I couldn't be more excited to share and begin my second-ever 101 in 1001 bucket list! I began my first list in September 2019, and it wrapped up this past summer. I was able to complete 43 out of 101 items, which I feel like wasn't bad for my first time doing this. (I also think Covid happening in the middle of it didn't help- a lot of the items on the list were off-limits in 2020!) By the way- you can see my first 101 in 1001 list and all of the updates over the years HERE!

My First 101 in 1001: Final Update

     This post is coming a few months late, but that's due to my blogging break this summer. Hopefully better late than never for my final update on my first-ever 101 in 1001 bucket list!! 

101 in 1001: 2 Year Update

     It's time again to check in with my 101 in 1001 list of goals, which I made for myself all the way back in precedented times, aka September 2019. Only two years ago- but seems like so much longer thanks to the world circumstances, and also the changes in my own life! Here's how I did with my goals for the past six months:

101 in 1001 - 18 Month Update

     I am about at the halfway point of my first-ever 101 in 1001 bucket list! Time has already gone by so fast since I first shared my list in September 2019... although I suppose a global pandemic has helped with that. If you haven't heard of a 101 in 1001 before or seen my past posts on it, this is a special type of bucket list, first shared by blogger Mackenzie of Design Darling years ago. It's such a unique way to organize your goals and dreams for the next few years. My last update about mine was my one year update back in September- it's already time today to share an 18 month update!

101 in 1001: 1 Year Update

     I can't believe it's been a full year since I shared my first 101 in 1001 bucket list on the blog! (I started last September on my 25th birthday.) If you're unfamiliar with the 101 in 1001 concept, it was made popular by blogger Mackenzie of Design Darling! You make a bucket list with 101 items in different categories, and try to accomplish as many as you can in 1001 days. I've decided to do updates every six months- you can check out my March 2020 update (published right before COVID) in this blog post! 

My 2020 Socially Distanced Summer Bucket List.

     Hey Friends! This blog post was supposed to go live on Monday, but I took the rest of the work week off from new blog and IG content to honor everything going on right now. I used the time weekday afternoons that I normally spend working on my blog to instead be having some tough but meaningful conversations with dear friends about the current events, racism, politics, and more. I'm also excited for some library books about racism that I put on hold to come in for me.

    Anyways- I will definitely still be educating myself and having these tough conversations in the weeks and months to come (this week has truly changed some things for me), but it is time now to get back to business here on the blog! 😊

     This marks my third annual Summer Bucket List! I started publishing these on the blog in 2018, which was my first summer here in Virginia. The past two have been fun ways to challenge myself to make the most of this fleeting season, and to enjoy activities and experiences new and old that I wouldn't get to do at other times of the year.

    I wasn't sure if I should still make a list for this year, thanks to COVID-19. The truth is this summer will be looking a lot different than the last two. 😬 Even if some of the activities that I'd hoped to do this year won't be open or safe, that doesn't mean I should let this season go to waste! If anything, I want to be even more intentional with how I'm spending my time. Stay-at-home orders will be over and it will be safer to go out and explore certain types of local spots, but that doesn't mean social distancing and general safety are over as well. 

    So here we go- my third annual Summer Bucket List and first ever one created with social distancing in mind!

101 in 1001: 6 Month Update

     A week ago marked six months since I started my first 101 in 1001 bucket list! If you missed my original post or are unfamiliar with the concept of 101 in 1001, they are categorized bucket lists with 101 items to complete in the next 1001 days (which is like 2.75 years). The concept was started by blogger Mackenzie of Design Darling, and I've seen tons of other bloggers do them over the years! I wanted to wait until I was in a place in life where I felt somewhat "settled" to do my first one, and my 25th birthday seemed like the perfect time to finally share a 101 in 1001.

     The past six months have gone by really quickly, and looking back now I'm amazed at how many items on this list I've already checked off! Some of them are also items that are in progress, and might be completed by the one year update in September. Time to share what I've done so far!

My 25th Birthday Gift to Myself: My {First-Ever} 101 in 1001!

    What better day to start my first-ever 101 in 1001 bucket list than my 25th birthday?! 😊

Flamingo Skirt + My Summer 2019 Bucket List!

     I think this is by far the most FUN outfit that I've worn in 2019! It's a pet peeve of mine when bloggers refer to everything they wear as their "favorite item" (you can't have a new favorite five days a week on Instagram!)... but y'all this skirt really is my new favorite, haha! Also sharing a little summer bucket list in today's post!

Floral Maxi Dress + A Hidden Photo Spot!

     I've been so excited to share this beautiful floral maxi dress with y'all! This is the ideal spring dress. I'm currently focused on buying more breezy and beautiful dresses that would be good for wearing to local wineries this summer, and this one fit the bill perfectly! I actually already wore it for a day of winery hopping this past weekend, and I got so many compliments. 😊

My Summer 2018 Bucket List: Recap!

     Late this spring, I wrote out a bucket list for this summer, filled with goals of things to do locally in Virginia, and also some personal goals! I feel that sharing it publicly on my blog helped me feel more accountable to actually accomplishing them. I'm very happy with the end result, and though it would be fun to share a recap on the blog today!

    My Summer 2018 Bucket List:


      Personal Bucket List:

• Try one new recipe a week - either a dinner, snack, or dessert recipe! (I haven't been as creative in my cooking since moving and want to step up my game again!) Nope. I didn't do a great job at being creative in my cooking this summer- and weeks that I did cook from scratch I went with old favorite recipes. I think in the fall/winter I cook more often, so looking forward to trying more new recipes soon! 
• Find a new primary care doctor in Charlottesville and make an appointment, and make an appointment with my new dentist for a teeth cleaning. Yes to primary care doctor! No to dentist... definitely need to do that! 
• Begin my 401k savings account once I become eligible through work (and if eligibility date is later in the year, put the money I would put into that into my remaining student loan during this summer!). Yes! Started a 401k this summer.
• Work out three times a week - either at my apartment gym, playing tennis, or going for a long trail or neighborhood walk. Yes in June/July... not so much for August. That's when some stuff started going on behind the scenes for me, so I've been distracted for the past weeks and not really motivated to work out. Need to get back to it this fall! 
• Find a new-to-me show to watch this summer on Netflix. Yes- but On Demand instead of Netflix. Superstore is hilarious!!!
• Finish (re-watching for me) Season One of Hart of Dixie on Netflix with my friend Becca- we are watching together! Yes! We finished it right before Labor Day Weekend.
• Read a minimum of three books each month. Yes! 
• Call my grandma at least once a week. Yes! 
• Host my housewarming tea party in my new apartment. Yes! Seems like forever ago now.
• Host friends from out of town at least once a month at my apartment! Yes! For June and July. No for August.

     Charlottesville / Virginia Summer Bucket List:

• Plan an overnight trip to see one of Virginia's beaches. Nope. Hopefully next summer.
• Visit one new-to-me hiking trail somewhere in the mountains. Yes! I hiked Sugar Hollow Reservoir (about 30 minutes from Charlottesville) with friends on July 4th.
• Find a local nature walking trail in Charlottesville for weekly walks. Yes... the Rivanna trail. However I only went a couple times this summer! 
• Drive more of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Nope. Hoping for fall. 
• Visit 12 wineries (by the time summer is over) on the Monticello Wine Trail! Nope, but I did visit a few more wineries! Just not 12 yet.
• Go to a polo match at King Family Vineyards. Yes! 
• Go to Sunset Series at Carter's Mountain Orchard (Thursday night concert series). Yes!
• Shop at Short Pump in Richmond (the nicer shopping district, similar to Charlotte's SouthPark). No but also yes? I did a shopping day in Richmond a few weeks ago, however it was mostly at a different mall in another part of the city. I did drive through ShortPump on the way home though, so I could say I've seen it! 
• Go tubing on the James River. Yes! I went tubing both on the James River, and also the Rivanna here in Charlottesville.
• Continue meeting weekly with my women's Community Group at my new church. Yes! And it just started meeting regularly again for fall. 
• Continue participating in monthly service projects with my new church. Yes! I have great memories from the service events that happened this summer. 

     Out of a full list of 21 items, I successfully completed fourteen (and three additional list items about 50% completed)!! I am really proud of myself for making so many of my goals happen this summer. It's going to be a crazy fall with a lot going on, so I think I'm going to skip a fall bucket list for this year, but do one for this winter instead!! January/February can be slow months with a lot of time indoors, so hopefully that will motivate me to do more in those months. Eventually I'd finally like to do a 1001 in 101 too!

     Did you make a bucket list for this summer? How did it go? 

     Hurricane Florence is expected to hit Central Virginia tomorrow through this weekend... crossing my fingers that there won't be major power outages, so that I can still get a blog post up as normal on Monday! I'll try and keep y'all posted over the weekend with how Charlottesville area is doing.

     God Bless,

      xoxo Annaliese 

2018 Resolutions + Summer Bucket List Check-In.

     Forget how fast summer is moving... can you believe we are this far into 2018?! I sure can't- this year has flown by. Sometimes it can be easy to hit the ground running with New Year's resolutions or bucket list goals in the winter, and then we forget about them and neglect them later in the year. I don't want that to be me this year, so I thought today's post would be the perfect time for a resolution check-in, and also looking at my summer bucket list again! I challenge you to do the same soon too. 

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Southern Belle in Training!

Swimsuit c/o {under $20!} // Donut pool float 

    2018 New Year's Resolutions: 

     *Complete 52 Week Savings Plan again (previously completed as 2016 resolution): Haven't technically kept up with this, but also have? I haven't been following the same savings plan I used in 2016 for putting away money, but instead I now have a larger set amount from my paycheck that gets automatically put into savings every two weeks (both a general savings account and my new 401k). So technically I'm saving away more money than I would be with the 52 week plan? So I guess- yes, I have been doing this, and more than intended!


    *Do a minimum of two workouts a week, with goal of running a 5k in 2018: Yes on the workouts... running.... ehh haha. I was doing so well with building up my stamina for running when I still had a gym membership in Vermont. Around the time that I moved, I was running 2.5 miles on the treadmill! Then I moved to Virginia, and it look me about a good month of just adjusting to my new apartment and job to even think about finding the time to work out. Now I work out in  my apartment gym, and for the last several weeks I've gone to workout there 2-3 times a week. However- I've had to start over with running. Right now just running a mile is a struggle! This weekend while working on this blog post I got re-motivated with running, and I downloaded a 5k training plan- hopefully I can finally do it!


     *Spend quiet time each morning in uninterrupted prayer: Similar to the previous one... I did great at this while in Vermont, but haven't kept up since moving to Virginia. NEED to get back to this- a healthy prayer life and quiet time spent with God is so important!


     *Read 30 books this year: This resolution somehow missed being included in my blog post about the ones I had for 2018, but it was a goal of mine nonetheless! This is the one that I've done the best at! As of this weekend, I have read 24/30 books for 2018. Kind of hoping to way exceed and maybe read 50 books this year?! 

      Charlottesville VA Summer 2018 Bucket List:

     
     *Plan an overnight trip to see one of Virginia's beaches: Not yet! Still maybe crossing my fingers for this to happen in August, but it might not happen until Summer 2019 due to a lot of unexpected car expenses that have thrown my budget for a loop.

     *Visit one new-to-me hiking trail somewhere in the mountains. Yep! Hiked in Sugar Hollow Reservoir (in between Charlottesville and Crozet) on the 4th of July with some of my girlfriends. 

     *Find a local nature walking trail in Charlottesville for weekly walks. Yes! Have checked out the part of the Charlottesville Rivanna Trail that runs through Darden Towe Park, which is near where I work. I've also visited the Monticello Trail this summer, another great option for weekday walks.

     *Drive more of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Nope- not yet. Hopefully soon!

     *Visit 12 wineries (by the time summer is over) on the Monticello Wine Trail! So far this summer I've visited two new-to-me vineyards, bringing my total of vineyards visited so far to seven.

     *Go to a polo match at King Family Vineyards. Yes! It was almost 100 degrees out on the Sunday that I went with friends, but hey I can still check this off! 

     *Go to Sunset Series at Carter's Mountain Orchard (Thursday night concert series). Yes! And I also went to Carter's Mountain for viewing the 4th of July fireworks. 

     *Shop at Short Pump in Richmond (the nicer shopping district, similar to Charlotte's SouthPark). Not yet! I did spend some time in Richmond in June but didn't get to do this yet.

     *Go tubing on the James River. Yes to tubing, but I did it on a local river instead of the James! This weekend a lot of friends from my church did a tubing afternoon on Charlottesville's Rivanna River. It was my first time tubing and it was so much fun!! Hopefully next summer I can tube on the James (bigger river). 

     *Continue meeting weekly with my women's Community Group at my new church. Yes! We met during Tuesdays in the school year (I joined the group in April shortly after moving), and throughout the summer we've managed to hang out at least a few Tuesday evenings out of each month. 

     *Continue participating in monthly service projects with my new church. Yes- for June! The monthly weekend projects are on break in July and August. I'm currently praying about finding a ministry that I can get involved with volunteering more regularly for in the fall- either through my church or separately. 

     I'm planning to share another summer bucket list check-in at the end of the season- probably around or after Labor Day! If you made resolutions for the year or a summer bucket list, I definitely suggest taking a few minutes sometime soon to review everything and adjust your goals if needed. Let's make things happen in the rest of July and in August!


 
     I didn't want to overwhelm y'all this year with Nordstrom Sale content, so that's why I scheduled this more personal post for today to get the week started on the blog! This morning I am shooting my Nordstrom sale purchases with Kate, and I'm looking forward to sharing those looks later in the week.



     God Bless,



     xoxo Annaliese 

My Summer 2018 Bucket List!

     I have my Instagram friends to thank for the theme of today's post! Last week I was feeling a bit stumped for what to write about for the topic of today's blog (I pre-write my posts a few days in advance), so I posted a poll on IG Stories asking which you'd rather read between two post topics. My Summer Bucket List was the clear winner- so here you go! I'm excited to share this today, and these outfit details as well. These photos were taken a few weeks ago, back when all of the spring blooms where still going strong in Charlottesville.

Photography by Lacey Botteon

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Southern Belle in Training!

Crop top & shorts set c/o // Shoes // Earrings c/o // Necklace {old, similar here} // Sunglasses // Bracelets c/o // Purse {old, similar here} // Lipstick // 

     This little crop top and matching shorts set is from Shein! I've worked with them on my blog to style and review their clothing for a couple years now. Generally speaking, despite their very low prices, I usually like most of the items that I get from this online store. This top and shorts was a miss sadly, It did photograph well in these pictures, but I found the quality of the fabric to be terrible, and the zipper was so poorly made on the shorts that they didn't zip fully! So I actually wouldn't recommend this.... if you do want to buy it for like a beach vacation, expect that you're getting what you pay for! But generally- I do really like Shein. 

     Alright, onto my summer bucket list! Sharing a few things that are personal goals for the summer, and some things that relate to life in Charlottesville and Virginia. I'm planning to put together my first ever 1001 in 1001 style bucket list for my birthday and blogiversary in September, so consider today's bucket list a little preview for that!

      My Summer 2018 Bucket List

      Personal Bucket List:

• Try one new recipe a week - either a dinner, snack, or dessert recipe! (I haven't been as creative in my cooking since moving and want to step up my game again!)
• Find a new primary care doctor in Charlottesville and make an appointment, and make an appointment with my new dentist for a teeth cleaning. 
• Begin my 401k savings account once I become eligible through work (and if eligibility date is later in the year, put the money I would put into that into my remaining student loan during this summer!).
• Work out three times a week - either at my apartment gym, playing tennis, or going for a long trail or neighborhood walk. 
• Find a new-to-me show to watch this summer on Netflix.
• Finish (re-watching for me) Season One of Hart of Dixie on Netflix with my friend Becca- we are watching together!
• Read a minimum of three books each month.
• Call my grandma at least once a week.
• Host my housewarming tea party in my new apartment.
• Host friends from out of town at least once a month at my apartment!

Charlottesville / Virginia Summer Bucket List:

• Plan an overnight trip to see one of Virginia's beaches.
• Visit one new-to-me hiking trail somewhere in the mountains. 
• Find a local nature walking trail in Charlottesville for weekly walks.
• Drive more of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
• Visit 12 wineries (by the time summer is over) on the Monticello Wine Trail!
• Go to a polo match at King Family Vineyards.
• Go to Sunset Series at Carter's Mountain Orchard (Thursday night concert series).
• Shop at Short Pump in Richmond (the nicer shopping district, similar to Charlotte's SouthPark).
• Go tubing on the James River.
• Continue meeting weekly with my women's Community Group at my new church.
• Continue participating in monthly service projects with my new church.

     Historically speaking, when I share things on the blog it does hold me pretty accountable to getting them done! So hopefully since I shared this with y'all, I'll be able to report in September that I checked all the items off. 😊Have you made a summer bucket list this year? If so- what's on it?


     Even though today's post focused all about my new life in Virginia, in an upcoming post this week I'll be taking y'all back to Vermont1 I'll be sharing a travel guide specific to visiting the Burlington, VT area in the summer months. Vermont of course is a popular state to visit in the winter with the plethora of ski resorts in the state, but it also makes for a very unique and different type of place to go to for summer vacations as well. I might not have had the best experience living there as an actual year-round resident, but I think Vermont could be great for a certain type of summer vacation, so I am excited to share some recommendations from my time living there later this week on the blog!

      God Bless,



      xoxo Annaliese