25 Signs You're a Real Adult

Alright, who else thought they'd be welcomed to adulthood in a dramatic, unmistakable moment? That there would be a clear event that you could point to, after which you'd always feel like a 'real' adult? My dad often says that he used to think becoming an adult happened like this, but that he's come to realize that no matter how old he gets, he never quite feels like he's finished becoming a real grownup. And the older I get, the more I understand what he was talking about.

7 Ways to Treat Yourself Under $10

I am a firm believer in rewarding yourself for anything from 'finishing a PhD after six years' to 'waking up and getting dressed.' It's just good for morale, after all. I really enjoy getting things done, and get quite a rush simply from crossing items off my to-do list, but sometimes you really need that extra lift that only comes from a treat-yoself break! Because I prefer to save my money for buying far too many dresses, I like to keep these treats on the inexpensive side (no facials for me, sadly!), and today I'm going to share my top seven ways to recharge my batteries for under $10.

21 Things I'm Thankful For

This year has tested my natural optimism quite a bit. Recently, I wrote about my journey to accept my feelings of sadness and anxiety. And while I do think it's crucially important to learn to be ok with not feeling ok or upbeat all the time, I also make it a habit to consciously look for the bright side.

25 Things About Me

Today I'm trying something a little new: I'm indulging that side of me that'll stay up until 3am taking Buzzfeed quizzes under the covers. (In case you're wondering: I'm mostly Gryffindor, my Game of Thrones alter ego is Jon Snow, and if I were a Lord of the Rings character, I'd be Gimli. Accurate!) I was nominated to do the '25 things about me' questionnaire by Kirstie of The Kirstie View! Thanks for the tag, Kirstie, and here goes!

My Before-30 To Do List

Almost a decade ago, I wrote a list of things I wanted to do before I turned 30. Recently, I pulled out the journal I'd written it in and decided to have a cry-laugh over the goals I set at 21. I'm not sure whether to celebrate the successes, bemoan the failures, or feel ashamed over some of the items on that list. Since feeling ashamed of myself isn't really my thing, I decided to go with Secret Option D: Share List Publicly on My Blog, complete with annotations!

My 30th birthday was spent at a winery and the Nixon Presidential Library. You can probably guess where this photo was taken.

5 Reasons October is the Best Month

As soon as the temperature climbs over 75 degrees or so, I start pining for the fall. Seriously. In my book, summer is a sweaty, uncomfortable period that must needs be endured only because it's followed by the sweetest reward of all: autumn, and more precisely, October!

October has always been my favorite month of the year: the weather is finally comfortable again, the leaves are vibrant, and even sunlight looks prettier. I know plenty of you are fans of spring and summer, so I've put together my top five arguments for why October is the superior month of the year.

60 Things That Make Me Happy

Ever since I was about 11 or so, I've kept a journal. In addition to documenting the mundane, one of the things I've always liked to do is to make lists. I'd make lists of favorite names and words, or of things I wanted to do before I turned 30, or my particular favorite: lists of things that make me happy.

In the spirit of my pen-and-paper journal habits, I thought I'd list my top 50 things that make me happy at this moment, and share my top 10 happy outfits.