Off the Mat is a series in which I share what's going on in my life off the yoga mat. This post is not sponsored in any way, but it does contain affiliate links which means if you make a purchase through one of the links, YBC will earn a small commission. Thanks for the support!

Buying Lately

Groceries - I've been using the Instacart service every once in a while when I am too exhausted to head to the grocery store. It's been a lifesaver and if you've never heard of it, you've got to try it out. It's an app where you can shop various stores (Whole Foods, CVS, etc) and they'll have someone pick it up and deliver it to your house. While I won't be doing it all the time because I just generally like picking out my own groceries, I like the convenience for days when I'm too beat.

Shopping - Ok I didn't wind up buying this but this funny holiday shirt cracked me UP the other day when I was at the mall. I was sort of turned off by the Black Friday madness and subsequent Cyber Monday. My inbox had, honestly, over 9,000 emails, most of which were promotions. I unsubscribed to a lot, haha. I didn't really buy much but I did scoop up this sleep romper which is SO comfortable. I also got these for a fun tropical trip I'm taking in February and they were on super sale (they were an extra 30% off), and of course I can't pass up a good pair of socks on sale.

I'd purchased a couple off the shoulder tops for the holidays but I didn't have a comfortable strapless bra to wear. I went into Victoria's Secret, but they didn't have my size (I have a smaller torso and larger chest size, so bra shopping sucks), so I went into Nordstrom. I find their sales staff so much more friendly than anywhere else. Anyway, I got fitted for a strapless bra, and this one was so comfortable, I wound up buying it in two colors. I found it on sale here.

Doing Lately

Got my hair done - I finally got into the salon to get my hair taken care of. It was a little damaged from the sun and lots of travel this summer, so I was so thankful to get in and see my girl Crystal at Antonio Prieto Salon. We went darker and did a little trim to get rid of those dead ends. I usually prefer my hair messy and tousled but I liked the sleek look above, the day after seeing her and getting a blow out. Here I'm wearing a Free People crop top bralette which is so pretty under loose tanks in the summer.

Enjoying the fall - It seems like we had a really late fall. The colors turned at the very last minute and then all the leaves fell off the tree before I could have a minute to take it all in. But it's still been so beautiful around here - it's one of the things I love most about living in New England.

Loving Lately

Travels - I traveled to LA earlier this month and I just love being there. While I don't think I could live there again (#trafficprobs), I really love going to visit. I have really good friends there, so there's always an excuse to go. I spotted this house while stuck in traffic, and the red door and dark wood combo took my breath away. I am a sucker for minimalist design and bright, natural light and I was dying to see the inside.

Getting a massage - I treated myself to a massage this month, which I always, always love. This guy must've come from a chiropractic background because he cracked my back multiple times (something that's never happened during a massage) and I walked out of there feeling like a whole new woman!

Puppy Love - I just live for this guy! He makes me so so happy and I can't do a post about what I'm loving lately and not include him. My heart is breaking because he is getting older, and his knee is still kind of messed up from when he tweaked it while running around like a crazy dog on Labor Day Weekend. He never sits straight because of it, he always has to sit on one side of his hip. The vet says there's nothing they can really do. They said they can't be sure it's a 100% tear in the ACL, the MRI we did a while back was inconclusive, and that it'd be worse to do a surgery and not really know what's going on and risk further injury than just feeding him good healing foods and taking it easy. So I've been upping his bone broth because that's really worked for him in the past. And he LOVES the turkey broth I made after Thanksgiving.

Eating Lately

Cappello's Chocolate Chip Cookies - I finally got a chance to try Cappello's chocolate chip cookies at our Colorado Retreat in October. The cookies are egg and gluten-free and they did NOT disappoint!

Homemade Worcestershire Sauce - I made a homemade Worcestershire sauce for a crock pot pulled pork I made a few weeks ago. I used this recipe and it came out SO good!

Watching Lately

Schitt's Creek - My parents told me about this show and it is hysterical! It's on Netflix with a serious cast and I cannot get enough.

Carpool Karaoke - I love The Late Late Show's series Carpool Karaoke with James Corden. This recent episode featured Kelly Clarkson, and I love her new song!

Reading Lately

After going on a nonstop reading kick this summer, that seems to have slowed down. I tried to get into Into the Water but I just could NOT find it in me to care enough. I just couldn't follow the characters and thought the whole thing was cheesy. Which is weird, because I loved Girl on the Train. Oh well. Then I picked up Braving the Wilderness which had my attention from page one, but I've just been really busy with Thanksgiving and all, so I'm hoping to make some time to get back into it this weekend.

Looking Forward To

In my ongoing effort to have more fun in my life, I'm excited because next week I'm going to see the Mariah Carey Christmas special in New York, and then next weekend I'm going to see Jerry Seinfeld (and my parents are coming, which makes it even more special). I cannot wait!

I'd love to hear what you guys have been up to - any new finds? Let me know in the comments section below!

Off the Mat: November