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Wishing you all a spook-tacular day and I hope you find all your favorite candy and you win 1st prize in the costume contest!
Happy Halloween!
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Find my older Halloween posts, see below:
Ghosts, Goblins and Witches....Halloween Costumes | Popcorn, Monsters and Ticket Stubs |
Bonus Favorites: Halloween Costumes | Trick or Treat |
[[It's just a bunch of Hocus Pocus!]]
I'm linking up with shay and erika for today's Let's look at:
Selecting a Halloween Costume
Over the years, I've been many different things. Some costumes were store bought, others were home made or made with everyday clothes. There were really no rhyme or reasons for some costumes, I liked what I liked.
I was little bo peep, a bunny, Minnie Mouse, cats, witches, a scarecrow, a 50s girl, the list goes on.
My favorite costumes I had were:
Flo from Progressive with Jake from State Farm
A Peacock with a Mad Hatter
A Cheerleader
A mad hatter
A Witch
Going batty!
Mice
There is no rhyme or reason for picking costumes. I look at my clothes and then Pinterest for some ideas and they just fall into place.
One year, I even got my flamingos costumes. My co-workers and clients LOVED them so much! Clearly one flamingo was living his best life and the other couldn't wait for it to be over.
This year Kyle and I wanted to do a couples costume and when we started planning, we both had different ideas- I wanted something funny and cute; he wanted something more mature.
My little Pinterest mind went crazy and I just kept naming off ideas. Minion and Gru; Popeye and Olive Oil; Curious George and the Man in the Yellow hat. I couldn't stop. This is part of our conversation:
A trip to the Halloween store and an hour later we settled on our costumes. A very close option was chip and salsa. All I could think of "Where's Dale?" (Chip and Dale!?)
We went with a Yacht captain for me and a Sailor for him. All I kept thinking was Ahoy Ahoy! Hahaha clearly I loved the character I was dressed up as.
Check out our costumes below.
Halloween is such a fun and silly holiday and I love that I have always enjoyed getting dressed up.
I can't wait to see your Halloween costumes!
What was your favorite costume as a kid?
[[I'm just here for the boo's ]]
If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know I rock climb, specifically boulder. This has been such an unexpected joy this past year. I had only a few experiences with rock climbing previously; A few times on the boardwalk and probably a birthday parties when I was younger. In 2018, I went to Middletown Gravity Vault with an old boyfriend. A co-worker had previously gone and she spoke highly of this and it sounded like a lot of fun. We went and first tried bouldering and we couldn’t figure it out (we walked in like we knew what we were doing) and then admitted we never did this before and tried the instructor led belay. I ended up loving it but it wasn’t until 2021 I had the opportunity again to try it out.
Kyle and I went rock
climbing on our 2nd date. Kyle has been climbing his whole life and I thought this would be a fun way to try something new. I was really excited about this; we
did the instructor led belay. An hour later, I was covered in chalk, my hair
was a mess and I had the biggest smile on my face. The next day I was SO SORE to
the point of not being able to lift my arms, it was BAD! Clearly, I needed to
work on my form. All I kept thinking about was trying it again. I hadn’t
experienced something like that in a long time.
Later that year, Kyle and I really got back into rock
climbing. We would top rope and boulder. Top rope was a little easier for me
because I knew I had the rope as a safety net and if I needed to I could come
down easily at any point. Bouldering on the other hand was REALLY hard for me;
there was a lot to adjust to- the height, trusting myself to hold myself up and
to figure out how to get the top then back down…safely. It was A LOT to think
about while bouldering. At the end of each climbing session, I might have been
covered in chalk, had fallen more times than I could count, knew I had bruises all of my legs BUT I always had the
biggest smile on my face. I always left in awe because I did something that I
didn’t think I could ever do.
Now, after a year of climbing, I feel confident in my
ability to be able to hold myself up on the wall; I am confident with my
ability to look at a route and visualize how I am going to get up that route. I
can also observe others who complete the route I’ve been working on and see how
they complete it. I have gained confidence, strength, and knowledge in a sport where I knew relatively nothing about. Each time I go climbing, I continue to learn something new, attempt a new hold and take the time to really enjoy the experience.
One thing I didn't expect when I first started was how KIND, ACCEPTING and HELPFUL climbers were. You can always strike up a conversation with someone and they will almost always talk to you especially if its about what they just climbed. They are willing to share their knowledge with you (sometimes even when you don't ask) and they are welcoming. There have been times I would be a the gym by myself and I would strike up a conversation with someone and we would climb and talk for the duration of the time I was there. There was never a point when I felt like I was a bother or annoying them.
I have learned a lot over this past year, these thing definitely apply to bouldering but they can also be applicable in everyday life too:
Slow and Steady/// Your first instinct is going to zoom up the wall and then zoom back the wall. Going slow up the wall will allow you to think and focus on what you are doing and where you are going.
Think/// The climbing gym I go to
follows the mono colored routes, each route follows one color, and the starting
hold and ending hold are clearly marked by the same color taped. Before jumping
on the wall, you will need to look at what the holds are, where you are going
and where it ends.
Observe Others/// One of the
things I found really helpful is when you are resting, watch other climbers
especially if they are trying/completing the route you are working on.
Sometimes they have a different approach, or they are able to work through a
problem and give you an idea how to solve it.
Try/// You showed up to the
climbing gym, why not try. Even if you know that you might fall, go for it. You
are not penalized for trying, no one is going to judge you and this tough route might become your next project. Sometimes I
will see a higher graded route that I am used to but I will attempt it even though I might
not be able to complete it.
Positive Mindset/// This comes
natural for me but going into something new, you will have a better experience
even if
Falling/// This is
inevitable. You might not grab onto a hold that you feel secure on or you might
mis-grab a hold or you just might slip. Luckily, with indoor bouldering the
floor is padded. Sometimes you climb up and you get to a point where you can’t
go anymore and climbing down doesn’t seem to be an option (climbing down is
always the safest option if available.)
Control Breathing/// This took me
a long time to understand. If your breath is controlled, you are more that
likely able to think through what you are doing and not panic. If you are calm,
it makes things much easier.
Visualizing/// I am still working
on this one. When you find a route you want to climb, especially a new one, try
to visualize how you are going to go up this route. What hand is going, on what
hold and the same for your foot. Sometimes it doesn’t work, you just have to
figure it out on the wall but in some routes, its helpful to plan it out.
Trust Yourself/// When you are
bouldering, you are going to be in situations where you will be hanging on by
one arm or on a hold you don’t really feel super secure on. You have to trust
your ability and your skills (which is hard as a beginner), you might actually
surprise yourself.
Take Breaks/// You might be
tempted to go, go, go BUT its actually beneficial to take breaks especially
after a particularly trying route. When you are taking a break, stretch,
hydrate and observe others. These breaks
are beneficial for your hands, giving them a break.
Observe Progress/// Its nice to
always look forward but sometimes looking back to see how far you have come.
Taking photos, and videos to look back on and to see how far you’ve come. Its
always interesting to see
Keep A Record/// if you go to the same climbing gym and you go often, it's nice to keep track of what you climb and if you are working on a project, take notes of what you did or what to try next time.
Cross-train/// climbing works a specific group of muscles to make sure you are keeping the other muscle groups are not neglected, weight training and cardio are my favorite.
One thing I learned very quickly with bouldering is that there is a whole new set of lingo that I needed to learn. I was so confused at first when I heard other climbers talking about beta and jugs. Here are some basic terms you should know before getting into bouldering:
Beta: Advice on how to climb a problem- usually the easiest way
Campus: Climbing using only your hands
Crimp: The smallest hold using your fingertips
Crux: Hardest part of the problem
Dyno: Jumping from one hold to another on the same problem
Flag: Sticking you leg out to counter balance yourself
Flash: Climb and complete the problem on the first try
Jug: Large hold that can be held onto comfortably
Match: Placing both hands on a hold; usually an ending move
Pinch: Holding on only by your thumb and fingers.
Problem: Route
Project: A work in progress problem
Send: To climb without falling
Traverse: Moving laterally on the wall
Now you have some tips, you know some lingo next up you will need some gear. Bouldering is one of those sports that you really don't need that much gear.
Shoes/// These are the most important piece of gear. If you are new, the climbing gym has shoes to rent and after you have decided to really pursue climbing, you can look into purchasing your own. There are many different kinds.
Chalk/// This will help you grip the holds better. Again the climbing gyms have chalk to rent but I ended up buying my own chalk and chalk bag very early on. I like how you can customize your chalk bag to show your personality.
Brush/// This is something that climbing gyms normally have for you to use. These are used to brush the excessive chalk off of a hold. (Too much chalk can be a hindrance)
That's it! See I wasn't joking when I said you don't need a lot of gear.
Now you got the gear, you are ready to go but where do you go? Climbing gyms! Outside! As a beginner I would start at a rock climbing gym. You can get use to things first before venturing outside. Going to a climbing gym also provides you a variety of routes. I personally have only gone to climbing gyms and I am not looking to go bouldering outside any time soon.
I personally go to Gravity Vaults. New Jersey has a few different climbing gym chains that can provide variety of how routes/problems are set and provides you a different experience.
So... why have I stuck with Bouldering?
What a great question, thanks for asking! I love bouldering simply because it shows me that I can do hard things. I love being able to approach a problem, set out to complete it and then complete it and get my butt back down the wall. I am consistently surprised by what I can do. I know this is something I can continually work at and get better. I love that.
I have found some great articles about climbing:
Kate Upton's Rock Climbing Workout
Rock Climbing Empowering Couples
Happy Birthday Kyle!
Thank you for making this past year full of adventures, laughter and lots of really special memories. Dancing in the kitchen while we make dinner and eating chips and salsa in bed are my everyday favorites. You are so smart and full of adventure; You don't back down from a (fun) challenge and you love to make me giggle. Your strength, determination and duty to Penelope to show her the world is commendable. I am so glad to have you in my life and I am so glad last weekend's surprise party really surprised you. Thank you for being a great partner in all adventures big and small. I hope this next trip around the sun is your best one yet. ❤
I love you always! Gabby
PS. I am SO glad I am not a cougar anymore.... for at least a few months.
Hi friends! Happy friYAY! Its the end of the month, can you believe it?!
I am linking up with Erika and Andrea today, I can't wait to read your posts!
SO SO much to share with you today!
First quick recap of the week!
This week some how went by in a blink of an eye. I have been so so productive each day at work and I am loving this! For a while, I felt like I was slogging through work each day; now I am zipping through my to do list even the things I dread to do! I don't know what has gotten into me lately! My dreaded pile of doom (as I lovingly nicknamed it) has been shrinking and it has made me oh so happy!
I went back to the gym this week after a 2 week hiatus. I realized very quickly, I am a morning gym person not an evening gym person. HA! I was happy to be back, but I also wanted my bed and to be relaxing. I am hoping next month, I will fall into a better routine of yoga, climbing and the gym. I definitely feel happier and more energized when I exercise.
Blogger accomplishment: I have a few posts in my drafts that I would like to write (my monthly love letters specifically) for posterity and I am almost all caught up with those! My plan is to complete them before November rolls around and then I will be 100% up to date with my blog and I honestly never thought this day would come! :) I have been working hard at writing and making this blog something I can be proud of.
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With it being Halloween weekend, I was thinking about some scary books I've read in the past few years. Thanks to Goodreads, (find me here )I was able to remember all the scary books I read. Out of the books I've read, these are the scariest (in my opinion):
The Cabin At the End of The World by Paul Tremblay /// This is a slow start but once it gets going, I couldn't stop. I needed to know what was going to happen. It starts out as an innocent weekend in the woods with a daughter and her dads and it does not end, peacefully.
The Lost Village by Camilla Sten /// Another unseemingly thriller book that left me questioning what I was actually reading and going back to re-read parts to make sure I am understanding it correctly. Set in Sweden, this abandon village holds more than dilapidated buildings.
His & Hers by Alice Feeney /// Every story has three sides; his, hers and the truth. This story is told from His and Hers perspective about a murder scene and it will keep you guessing to the very last sentence. I couldn't put this down!
The Loop by Jeremy Robert Johnson /// By far the weirdest and scariest book I read, I still think about this one and I read it a year ago. Its creepy and it will keep you guessing. Listen to the audiobook for extra creepiness.
Other scary books: The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse; Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark; The Night Before by Wendy Walker; Night Film by Marsha Pessel; The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher
Ahh! Those are all such great scary books if you want something spooky for the weekend!
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Here are my Favorites from this week:
Pickleball is taking over /// Everywhere I look, I see something about Pickleball. It honestly makes me laugh that a game with such a silly name is taking over. I am not convinced about this yet; I think I need some in field testing.
Selma Blair's Standing Ovation/// Gosh, watching this brought tears to my eyes. How sweet was it that everyone is so supportive of Selma and her MS journey. I am so proud of her for trying this and getting to do so good AND I am proud of her for listening to her body and knowing when to stop.
Love Is Blind Season 3/// Twitters reacts to the first 4 episodes and its savage! Just when I thought LIB could not get any crazier, you got a girl doing jumping jacks while the guy is pouring his heart out and then a guy putting fake tears in his eyes after he is rejected?! WHAT?! I can't wait to see where this crazy train goes next!
NJ Teacher & Phillies Ball Girl/// Gosh! I love a sweet story and I love a story that is close to home! YAY PHILLIES! YAY Ocean County! YAY! YAY!
Midnights Easter Egg Hunt /// The amount of thought and time that the Swifties put into figuring out all the Easter Eggs hidden in Taylor's music is incredible. The amount of time and note taking and reviewing older lyrics to place said Easter Eggs in new songs is brilliant. Taylor Swift is clearly in a league of her own.
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Did you miss any of my posts this week? Find them below:
WGJ #34 | Body Acceptance Week | Diary #34 | What's Up Wednesday | Dear October | WGJ Travels: What I Learned About Planning
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This weekend, I am hoping for lots of sunshine, Halloween fun and birthday cake!
What are your Halloween fun plans for this weekend?!
[[Monsters don't like to eat ghosts because they taste like Sheet!]]
Hi October!
Let's first start off with, YOU WERE AMAZING! So many good things happened this month!
The month started off quick and it has not slowed down! HA! I swear I blinked and the month flew by! (I know, I say that EVERY month, but its true
There were so many fun things to celebrate this month- Dad's birthday, my work-aversary, a good report from my doctor, my aunt's surgery and recovery going good, and all the beautiful weather for outdoor adventures we could enjoy.
I have found such an amazing and unexpected community at Gravity Vault. When I started to rock climb, I did it because it was new and fun and it was nice that it was something Kyle and I shared. I slowly realized that it was a great workout not only for my body, but also my mind. There is so much that goes into climbing that goes beyond just the physical part of it. I started to go to yoga in September and while this month, I didn't get there as much as I wanted to (read: once), I found that the climbers I've met in yoga (and when climbing) are so welcoming and accepting and KIND! Going somewhere and feeling like the others genuinely enjoy having you there and want to know how you are make such a difference. I hadn't experienced that in a very long time!
I climbed at 4 different Gravity Vaults this month and they were all unique. Each one had different types of bouldering walls and interesting challenging routes. I loved that I can see my progress- getting stronger and more comfortable on the wall and not panicking. I feel like a totally different climber than I was last year this time. I think joining a gym and running semi-consistently has also helped with climbing. Both are active cardio filled activities and they both test me. I knew towards the end of this month, especially with Voorhees and Chatham's Gravity Vaults, I wouldn't be coming back anytime soon so I definitely made sure to try routes that I might not always go for and work hard to complete them. I loved the challenge and the variety of routes. That lime wedge (go to this month's diary post to see what I am talking about) really gave me run for my money and I pushed myself to just try it.
Kyle and I had lots of weekend adventures. Getting scared silly at Nightmare At Gravity Hill; listening to some sweet tunes at Porchfest and acting like children at The Big Bounce America. All these adventures were outside and mother natures blessed us with beautiful fall weather. Being able to be outside, in the sunshine, enjoying the adventure has been such an overall continued blessing this whole year. I didn't realize how much being outside really does make me happy. I was doing so good keeping track of how much I spent outside this year up until July and then it all derailed. HA! I will say A LOT is a number of hours I spent outside this year.
This past weekend was Kyle's surprise party Alfonoso and I planned. Overall, it ended up being a lot of fun and Kyle was completely surprised! He truly had no idea what we were up to! I call that a success!
Lastly this month, I felt like I am getting back to myself. I touched on this last month, where I mentioned that I am starting to feel more like the old me after getting c0vid and this month reaffirmed that, yes the old me is coming back. This was most felt in the beginning of the month and the end of the month; in the middle of the month, my allergies decided to come out and kinda sidelined me for a bit. They were more annoying than anything and I am happy to say I am back to feeling more like my old self. It definitely feels like a warm hug.
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Goal Update
I moved 14 out of 30 days this month (Move at least 3 times a week)
I spent 15 ish hours outside (Spend 1000 hours outside this year)
I tried to show kindness all month (being the best version of myself) and it really boosted my mood those days when I was extra kind.
I was NOT creative at all this month. I am still struggling with this. (Be more Creative)*
*On the note of being creative, I've been thinking about this for a while now. One of my goals this year was to be more creative, which thinking about it seems like an oxymoron because sometimes you can't force creativity. Every month, in these posts, I do an overall goal review and in the last few months in my goal review, I've revealed that I have not been creative nor have I even attempted to be. It has made me sad in a way because I have always been creative but the last few years, its been a struggle. I think in this season of my life, my creativeness is not what it used to be. Trying to force myself to be creative is frustrating and I think I am not going to focus so hard on it moving forward. I will see what happens.
Zero new ones!! Still looking for Wyoming, New Mexico and North Dakota. I have two months left and I'm so curious to see if I can find them!
Climbing
I climbed 4 times this month! I was really proud of the 30 routes I climbed, completing 21 out of 30. The ranged from VB to V1. This month the routes seemed to be either really easy or really hard. I chalk this up (pun intended) to not consistently climbing for a few months. I enjoyed these challenges.
Exercise
I went to the 8 times this month! I decided to tried to incorporate more weight training this month. I ran almost every time I went to the gym and I tried to jump on the rower too. Simple compound moves rounded out my sessions and lots of stretching. I want to get back to my old way of exercising with my little index cards listing the exercises. That will be for next month. I also will count the The Big Bound America as exercise too because bouncing around in bouncy houses is a workout!
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This month's posts:
Happy Birthday Dad | 11 Years --- 11 Lessons | Random #9 | Thoughts on Careers, Jobs and Working | RUNtember Challenge | Weekend Rewind | Humira: 4 Year Update | WGJ #34 | Body Acceptance Week | Diary #34 | What's Up Wednesday |
Looking forward in November to a few extra days off, vacation (more on that later today!) and an official start of the holiday season!
Thanks for reading my posts and interacting with me! I appreciate all of you! Have a fantastic, haunted Halloween weekend!
[[Think about what could go right.]]
What I'm reminiscing about//
Halloween when I was younger and how excited I was to get dressed up and go trick or treating.
What I'm Loving//
All the fall colors we have been seeing! Here in NJ its just about Peak time for the trees to be changing colors and I am here for it! The colors on the trees always look like a painting and I just cannot get over how perfectly placed each color is. I especially love when a single tree has multiple colors on it.
What I've been up to//
Working, running, blogging, planning and adventuring.
What I'm dreading//
Nothing, I am pretty happy to be in the here and now.
What I'm Working on//
Posts for the upcoming month; a more sustainable workout plan and what I am going to eat for a snack.
What I'm Excited About//
Life!
What I'm Watching/Reading//
I think I've completely fallen off the reading train.
I'm attempting to watch Season 2 of Abbott Elementary and Season 11 of Chicago Fire.
Luckiest Girl Alive on Netflix was really intense and Mila Kunis was amazing in it.
I also started A Friend of the Family and its so creepy and weird and seemingly unbelievable and I can't stop watching it.
What I'm Listening to//
Back to the Beach podcast with Kristin Cavallari and Stephen Colletti;
Just Like Other Girls with Shannon Fiedler and
Girls Next Level with Bridge and Holly.
All on Spotify.
What I'm Wearing//
All the Fall colors and new finds mixed with old favorites.
Also booties. I was against booties for so long and now I can't get enough of them.
What I'm Doing this Weekend//
It's Kyle's birthday weekend so birthday celebrations and lots of cake
What I'm looking forward to next month//
Adoption Day! The start of the holiday season!
Vacation (more on that soon!); 4 extra days off!
Favorite Amazon find of the month//
Heatless curlers/// Picnic backpack
As always I am linking up with Shay and Sheaffer for this month's What's Up Wednesday!
What are you up to this week?
[[You carry a unique joy that the world needs to see; don't hid your sunshine.]]
Another month of snapshots. Lots of climbing and outdoor time this month. All which made me really happy.
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| Gravity Vault Middletown |
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| 11 years at my job |
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| Gravity Vault Brick |
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| Progress not perfection |
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| Looking up |
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| I removed the sticker and the computer went bonkers. EEK! |
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| Found on a walk |
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| Full Moon |
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| Ready to be scared silly |
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| Nightmare at Gravity Hill |
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| EEK! |
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| Proof of a full moon and weird shadows |
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| Pretty Pompom Flowers |
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| Perfect Halloween House |
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| Kindness |
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| Circa early 2000's photography |
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| Fall is here |
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| Bikes and Music |
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| Disco Balls |
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| Fun texture detail |
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| Gravity Vault Chatham |
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| Sunset on the bridge |
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| Surprises at Labcorp |
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| Early Morning Work |
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| Coffee shop selfie |
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| Too-da-loo |
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| This randomly appeared and reminded me of the chair from Beauty and The Beast |
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| Lake Sunsets |
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| the colors and reflection make this photo |
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| Creepy Halloween display |
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| Gravity Vault Voorhees |
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| This lime slice gave me a run for my money and it was the best time trying to figure it out. |
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| The Big Bounce America part 1 |
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| The Big Bounce America part 2 |
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| The Big Bounce America part 3 |
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| The Big Bounce America part 4 |
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| The Big Bounce America part 5 |
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| Right place, right time |
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| Big curls |
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| Kyle's Successful Surprise Party |
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| Lavender moment |
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| An angry carrot |
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| Working in my car on a new project |
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| George holding on for dear life |
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| Halloween-weekend in Asbury Park. A Captain and her sailor |
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| LOVED the casual Princess Diana Costume! |
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| Picnic in the park |
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| Fall you're so pretty |
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| Halloween costume for work |
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| Halloween socks at the gym |
