Simple Joys of the Week, December 6th Edition

You guys, I think I turned a major corner this week: I'm starting to feel somewhat settled here! I think I've finally wrapped my head around the fact that this is my new life, and I'm really excited about that. Crazy and yay and weird and OMG! 

Just wanted you to know ;)

Anyhoopers, how was your week? {First week in December!} I saw many pics of adorably-decorated houses, Christmas trees, and holiday-inspired mantles on Facebook this week, and they made me feel very behind on my festiveness. Thus, this weekend we get our tree, crank up the Christmas music, and cover everything in twinkle lights. I can't wait! 

But, as usual, I'm getting ahead of myself. First, lets reflect on the past week and discuss our simple, sensory joys of the week. What made you smile over the past 7 days? My SJOTW are below...

HEAR: Katy B Wildcard Mash-Up
You know how much I love mash-ups, right? Well, here's an amazing one: Katy B performs an Aaliyah song, a Dolly Parton song, and a Beyonce song woven together seamlessly. Amazing. You can listen below:

SEE: My first Cape Cod Christmas Stroll
We went to a Christmas Stroll this week, and it was adorable! What is a Christmas Stroll? Well, they happen in almost every village/town on the Cape, and they're really festive. They take place in the little "downtown" area of the town, and all of the shops, restaurants, bars, and businesses open up their doors, serve food, drink, and treats. There's live music, carolers, and decorations, and everyone just mills around enjoying the festivities and visiting with neighbors. The firemen served homemade chili, the restaurants served soups or clam chowder, there were places to make s'mores, get hot cider, and even do a little shopping. It was fab. Can't wait to go to the next one!

TASTE: Cape Cod Creamery's Peppermint Ice Cream [Not pictured...instead, I included another adorable scene from the stroll]
In addition to all of the warm, wintry delicacies at the aforementioned Christmas Stroll, there was also, of course, ice cream. Although I was freezing, I couldn't resist tasting Cape Cod Creamery's Peppermint flavor, and let me tell you, it was DELISH. OMG. As the man giving out the samples said, "It's never too cold for ice cream." Well said, Sir!

SMELL: The marshlands...
On Wednesday it was simply gorgeous outside, so although I had TONS of work that I should be doing, I treated myself to a walk/run outside as a little break. I walked down the street to this hiking trail (through conservation land) that I've been wanting to check out, and was blown away by the beauty that I found there. It was a trail through the marshlands, with bird houses, nature, and sprawling scenery at every turn. It's just SO pretty here! Ahhhhhh! 

TOUCH: Assisting students/getting back to teaching regularly
I missed teaching regularly SO much! So, so, much! Although I've now been teaching on the Cape for a few weeks, this week was the first in which I taught a bunch of classes (6), and it felt amazing. As someone who was used to teaching 8-10 per week, 1-2 just wasn't cutting it. So yay! If you live on the Cape, I've posted my new teaching schedule, so check it out and come take a class sometime soon. I'll also be doing a handful of workshops in the New Year, so will post those ASAP, too!

Lots happening here this weekend (if you're local, come see me at the Orleans Yoga + Pilates event tonight!), so I'm planning on doing my best to soak it up without going too insane...

I'm sure that your weekend is just as full (that's just how it goes come December!), but no matter how jam-packed, busy, or crazy your life may get this season, I really encourage you to take some time to reflect on each week, each event, each day, and feel a sense of gratitude for both the simple and more complex pleasures in life. 

Happy Friday!

PS. Many of you have asked, so I wanted to let you know that my December class playlist is finally up! Yay!