Summerween: How to Create A Spooky Indoor Movie Night

Lately, I’ve been thinking about taking a different approach to my content to create a fresh start. I had shared a little bit on my Instagram stories about how I wanted to bring more creativity & fun, less stuff, and maybe do some Halloween stuff a little bit early. I was introduced to this concept of “Summerween” by my followers, and I thought it could be really freaking fun. I thought, “why not do a little movie night with some fun treats and get a little bit crazy?” I’ve already ordered a little Mickey koozie for Halloween, and Universal is starting to set up for Halloween Horror Nights. I’m so ready!

Not only was the seed planted for Summerween, but what if I could have an excuse to go check out my Halloween bins? We are still in the process of moving in, but we’re almost completely done unpacking and organizing everything. We have donated and gotten rid of so much stuff! It is so therapeutic to just live with less things, and I feel like we’re changed people, which I love. I basically only own five strapless rompers and four sports bras now (instead of tons), and I garden. Who am I?!

There was a thunderstorm rolling in, and that really set the vibe for the day. I had hoped for a good, moody movie Summerween night, and we definitely got it! First, I put on some Halloween jewelry and a spooky playlist to get into it. I cleaned up our sitting room area, pushed the two coffee tables to the side of the room, and vacuumed the rug. Then, I went through the bins in the garage and had way too much fun! I pulled out some fall garlands, fairy lights, pillows, blankets, slippers, and decor pieces. I moved my rolling TV into the room and decorated it with some leaves and fairy lights. The TV was honestly the most epic purchase ever, because I can literally bring it anywhere! I used the coffee tables to set up some decor and create a little spread with some snacks. It looked so good!

I want to address something really quickly. No, this was not a fort, and I’m okay with it. We can’t take out all the bins & blankets and dismantle the whole house. Instead, we did more of a movie setup. We’ll save the fort for the fall!

Next, I made a martini (in a festive glass of course), grabbed some popcorn, and put on Hocus Pocus 2. I did a little bit of Halloween sketching for some special things that are going to launch in the future. I wanted to play and design some cool stuff! I ended up nailing down three different designs. No, they weren’t covers, and they’re nothing you’ve ever seen before. They are very much inspired by all of you, and something I know that you would love. It’s also a full circle dream thing for me to be able to design and create this. I don’t know if it will be out by this Halloween, but I’m going to try my hardest, and I’m so excited! Should I give you a hint? There’s three of them that have different personalities. That’s all I’m going to say!

That night, Andre and I made dinner and had a Summerween movie marathon. The storm had passed, and the timing of it all was perfection. I think we’re going to keep the setup intact for a little while for more Summerween fun!

I had so much fun doing this, and I hope you loved it too! Thanks for being here, and if you’re interested in more Summerween content, let me know in the comments!

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Sunday Routine: How to Get Your Life Together in 5 Steps

We’ve all felt the “Sunday scaries” at some point or another, right? I’m here to tell you, Sundays don’t always have to feel this way. Today, I want to walk you through my Sunday routine designed to combat those “scaries,” and kick off your week with a strong start. We’re going to get our lives in order in five steps so we can slay the upcoming week!

As always, first, we’ve got to get the vibes going! Set the tone by lighting a really good candle. I also love putting on ambient music in the house; the Cafe Music BGM Channel on YouTube is one of my faves. Now, let’s get started!

1. Prep

The very first thing I do is prep. I get my workout gear, water tumbler and pre workout ready, so I don’t have to go fishing around for a bunch of stuff in the morning. Then, I figure out what I want my meals to look like for the week and get some meal prep in. I’ll cook, portion food out, or chop up veggies for a recipe I’ll make later in the week. If I’m in a pinch, I’ll set up a grocery delivery, or plan to have some ready-to-eat meals on hand.

I also prep my week and get my goals in order, but more on that later!

2. Work in/out

Work in/work out means you work your mind as well as your body. I always sweat or stretch, even if it’s a weekend. I love doing a great yoga sesh to de-stress pre-Monday morning, before I get into the swing of things. Go into a quiet space, do some yoga, stretch, meditate, and just have some quiet time where you’re not in front of a device. Sometimes my dog, Carl, even joins me!

3. Pamper

This step is all about pampering yourself. Get your mind right, get your skin right, and just get feeling dang good about yourself. Take some downtime for your mental well-being, but in a different way than working out. My favorite way to do this is by taking a gigantic amazing bath. I love adding different bath salts, oils, bubbles, and putting on a face mask or hair mask to make it that much more luxurious. Once I finish up my bath, I use a gua sha tool to do a face massage, and go through my skincare routine.

4. Reset

For a good reset, my husband and I try to get outside. We’ll go for a walk and have a good conversation. This really helps us decompress after a long week! Relationship tip: If you want to discuss a hard topic with your partner, take a walk together. It makes things so much less confrontational, because you’re actively moving forward and toward a solution together.

After walking, I’ll sit down with a good fictional book. It’s such a better way to decompress rather than plugging into a trashy reality TV show, which is what I used to do. The way reading a good book can reset your body in just 20 or 30 minutes is next level! The book I’m reading now is called Run on Red, and a fave I'd recommend is The Guest List.

5. Clean up/amp up

The fifth and final step is to clean up your house and get amped up for the fresh week ahead. I always make sure the house is organized & clean, and everything is put away & wiped down. This way, I know that I’ll be organized when I wake up bright and early on Monday morning.

In terms of getting amped up, I’ll do a little goal setting sesh in my planner. This helps me set a clear vision for exactly what my goals are for the week, and then my to-do list is based on these goals. It’s clear to me what I’m going after, and it’s how I stay motivated!

Those are my top tips on getting your life together on a Sunday and gearing up for a new week. It’s all about decompressing and making sure you’re prepared. If you have some tips of your own, I’d love to hear them in the comments!

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Happiness Hacks

I thought that today, we would debunk the idea of happiness. I’m not saying that I’m the end all, be all, and I know everything about how to be happy. However, I do feel like a question I often get is, “Angie, why are you so happy?” That’s not to say I don’t have moments of freak out, anger, frustration, or sadness, because those things do happen. Overall, I’ve been able to shift my life quite a bit to find a level of happiness, and I want to share my secrets with you. Let’s call them “happiness hacks!”

1. Gratitude

Something I do every single morning in my planner is write out a couple of things that I’m grateful for. If you can’t think of something you’re grateful for, or you’re not feeling the feels that day, then write out something you’re excited for. This is one thing that has helped me tremendously.

Can I just give you a dose of tough love right now? No matter how hard you might think your life is right now, there is someone that would give everything to switch places with you. Whatever you’re going through, you’ve got this! In order to recenter yourself, I think it’s incredibly powerful to think about what you’re grateful for and experience the shift it does for your mindset.

You can write down anything. It can be your spouse, the roof over your head, the fact that the lights are on in your house, the fact that you have running water, etc. On the days where I feel like I don’t have anything to be grateful for, those are the things I write. I have a roof over my head in a warm home with electricity. Another go-to is that I’m grateful for my husband, Andre, and our dog, Carl. Other times, I’ll just write down some things I’m excited for. Take a moment to write yours down now!

2. Health & Movement

By health and movement, I don’t necessarily mean being fit AF and having a six pack. Something I’m realizing as I’m getting older is that the more I move my body in an intentional way, take the time to sweat it out, and most importantly, stretch it out and breathe, the happier I am. When you move your body, you’re ultimately letting out any frustration you might have been holding in. It has nothing to do with how my body looks, but it’s interesting that my body responds to how my head is thinking. Your body will achieve what your mind believes. When we’re at our most stressed/upset/angry, we tend to gain weight. That’s not just because we’re plowing our face with chippies. I believe that is because our bodies almost go into distress and say, “what are you doing to me?” If you are a happy, calm, centered human, I’m telling you, the weight will come off that much easier.

What I personally do is wake up and go right to my workout area, press play on my workout, and sweat or stretch. On days that I’m not working out hard, I’ll just do yoga or take a walk.

3. Progress

The last and most eye opening thing for me is progress. I’m talking about forward movement, not just in terms of moving your body, but movement in your goals and life. Even if I move forward half an inch, or just one millimeter, no matter what it is, I will feel happy because I’ve made progress. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: progress equals happiness. If you think back on any time that you’ve felt really sad or unhappy, chances are, there was zero progress happening. When you start to see growth in your life and feel like you’re improving, you will be your happiest self.

What is one small thing you can do today that will move you closer to the goal you had set at the beginning of this journey? Get that little “oomph” toward your goal! Check back in with yourself tomorrow on how much happier you feel about taking that small step forward.

Short and sweet, those are my happiness hacks! Implement these practices into your life, and I promise, you will be a happier person. If you have any happiness hacks of your own, I’d love to hear them in the comments!