Good morning! Now that Labor Day is behind us and our weather is starting to cool off, it feels like fall is just around the corner.
I don’t know about you, but I love this time of year. The mornings are cool enough to open the windows and enjoy a good run, and the afternoons are still warm and sunny.
As I said in one of my emails this week, I’ve always felt like Labor Day is sort of a second New Year’s Day, and I always start out the week after Labor Day wanting to reset my habits and make a fresh start.
This year, I’ve switched my morning routine so that I get up and put on my workout clothes right away and head outside (or to my treadmill, weather depending) for a brisk walk/run. Then I come in, get a big glass of water, and make my coffee. I used to get my coffee first thing and get on the computer, and then it was always hit or miss if I’d manage to carve out time to exercise before I had to get on with my day.
My other goal is to do my devotions with that first cup of coffee, and THEN get on the computer. I used to do that and I got out of the habit when things got busy, and that has also been a hit or miss situation. I really need that time, so I’m trying to stick to this plan until it becomes a habit.
What is it the experts say? It takes 6 weeks to develop a new habit? Well, I’m a week in, so we’ll see how far I get.
In other news, my blog got a bit of a refresh this week. I’m still waiting for my design team to fix a few things that aren’t quite right; hopefully that will happen tomorrow. There is a section on my home page that needs some tweaking, and the More Recent Posts section at the bottom of each post needs some help. Otherwise, I think it’s pretty much good to go!
We’ve updated my header logo, returning to the more classic fonts I was using before this last redesign, and including my tagline again. I feel like it must be helpful to those landing on my site for the first time to know what it’s about, and I also just think it makes it a little bit prettier and more interesting.
Then we removed the Shop section, since I could never seem to find the time to get it organized the way I wanted it, and most people weren’t even aware it was there. The SHOP button at the top of my blog now goes to my Instagram Looks page, so if you used to use the Shop My Instagram link in the menu bar, now you will want to click the SHOP button on the far right.
The other major change I made was to get rid of the Snapshots on my home page and replace it with Popular Posts.
The Snapshots were basically micro-posts where I could focus on a single item or a trend that I wanted to feature, but that didn’t require an entire blog post. I was sharing those in my email newsletter on Tuesdays and Thursdays (when I had new ones.) After struggling for a while to keep that section updated regularly, I decided it wasn’t adding much to the site except extra work for me.
We replaced that section with some of my most popular posts, and I’ll change those out every few weeks according to my Google Analytics. I don’t know if they will get used more than the Snapshots or not, but at least they don’t require me to create anything new.
And the other major change was to my Category and Tag pages. They have been simplified and prettied up a bit. It’s the little things, ya know!?!
I always get the itch to make some updates to my design every year or so. It’s sort of like cleaning out my closet with every change of season. I just like to keep things fresh and tidy.
Alrighty! That’s about all I’ve got time for today. Although I did just realize, as I went to put the date in the title of this post, that it’s September 11th. I feel like there’s nothing I can say that hasn’t already been said many times over, although it is strange to think that my kids don’t even remember that event. David was only 2 years old.
It’s popular to say “never forget” when talking about that dark day, but I do feel like we have forgotten what it was like to have a sense of unity as a nation. Maybe it’s because there is a whole generation of people living among us who didn’t experience it. I hope and pray that we can find a common ground again, and that it doesn’t take another horrific event like 9/11 to bring that about.
And on that somber note, I need to hop off here and get ready for my day. Our gorgeous fall weather has come to an abrupt halt, and we’re getting some more rain. I have a feeling an afternoon nap is in my future.
I hope you have a restful and blessed Sunday!
17 Responses
The site looks great! Always nice to freshen things up and make it work better for you.
You don’t know how happy I was to see that you have a Coffee Talk post today because I really miss them when you are not able to do it. I have confidence that you will keep up with your new morning routine. Having my morning devotional time every day is a must for me, and I’ve learned that I need to do it before doing my normal outside tasks. We can sort of see fall in the air and plants, but it’s not cool enough in the mornings to have the windows open just yet. And the humidity hasn’t departed for good. When that happens I will be in Heaven on earth. Have a blessed day!
Ginger, I think you should move north! 🙂
Your site always looks nice. I think the more simple, the easier to navigate anyways. As for devotions, its best to do in the AM or its too easy to not get to it with the busyness of the day. I find when my day starts with God, it goes much smoother and the things he taught me in HIS WORD, stay with me throughout my day, keeping me on track. There is just so many things these days that distract us. Happy Sunday. Off to church for us soon.
Good morning. Reading your post today reminded me of addressing 9/11 as a teacher (my first year out of the classroom after 29 years of teaching). Last year I read the YA novel Ground Zero to my class and it brought back very strong memories of that day and the days & weeks that followed. I shed several tears and at the end of the book, I was crying so hard (yes, ugly crying) that I had to step outside to regain my composure. My class was generally very difficult, however, that day they were very well behaved and asked lots of thoughtful questions about 9/11. I suppose one day, in there near future, there will not be anyone around who has first hand memories of those days. Let’s pray for peace before that happens.
I love the idea of starting new routines after Labor Day. Never thought of it that way, but makes sense that New Year’s doesn’t have to be the only time we regroup and engage in goal setting. I’m trying to carve out time in the morning for daily devotions as well. It’s tough because my alarm goes off at 5:30 and I’m in full “rush mode” in order to get out of the house by 7:00 to head to work….but I’m going to try and start giving myself just 5 minutes when I first wake up along with my morning stretches.
yeah, that’s rough. I remember when I was teaching, I had to leave the house at 6:40 to get to school by 7:15.
Did you ever read Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod? Short read and very inspiring. It’s been a while since I read it, but he takes an hour when he first rises and divides it into 15 minute segments. One for meditation or devotion, one for journaling, one for exercise and one for a vision board. He even practices this when away. I was really shocked how many of the things on my vision board actually came to pass.
I haven’t, but it sounds interesting. I need like 45 min for exercise, tho. LOL!
Am anxious to see your new changes
Also your comments on 9/11 reflect my feelings as well. I was never prouder of our nation as we came together to help one another. Which saddens me even more to witness the separation of people now
The loss of this day changed the lives of everyone. There are those that feel their loss every day. I cannot imagine living that heartache. We remember
Hi Jo-Lynne! I love the olive green crops you are wearing in today’s photo. Where did you purchase them? (I may have missed them in one of your postings – sorry.)
Rosalie….. The olive green crop pants are the Stretch Twill Wide Leg Crop Pant from Nordstrom. I don’t know why the pictures online show the Olive so much darker, but the video online looks like the color of Jo-Lynne’s.
Here’s a link to the outfit details. I forgot to include them in the post, but I’ve added them now. https://shopstyle.it/v/4f8
I do not do well with change. I am very much a creature of habit. That said, I really like what you have done with your blog! I truly enjoy and look forward each day to your emails. Even though lots of days (most days) it’s late at night before I get to read them. It’s just a bit of happy that I look forward to. I’ve been yearning to start my devotions again in the mornings. I think it’s so important, and it always starts my day off better. I’m just waiting in limbo for our hurricane repairs to our home to be finished. I have (had) such a perfect cozy corner in my living room. Unfortunately, that was where the neighbor’s tree came crashing through our house. But maybe for now, I can make it work in my bedroom. I just have to not fall back asleep! Lol! Today was such a wonderful day for our family as our middle son was baptized! He told us it made a sad day a bit joyful. He’s only 13, but we have always talked about 9/11 and the impact it had on our country and our family. Sorry, for the novel! I hope everyone has a beautiful week! ❤️
Congratulations! A happy day for your family, I know. 🙂
I have the same struggle with devotion time! It’s so important, and I’m not sure why I easily put it on the back burner to computer time. I still have to have my coffee and computer time first so I can be awake enough to appreciate devotions, but I’m trying hard to put a firm end time on the computer. Now to do the same for exercise. Your website is great. I love the format and the tab organization. My only request, since I’m fairly new to your site, is a way to move chronologically through posts. Like from this one, being able to hit “previous post” and just keep going. Maybe there’s a way, and I just don’t see it. But I love your site, it’s quickly become a must-read for me.
That’s helpful feedback. I used to have that functionality, but I don’t think I’ve had it since I switched to this design company. I will ask them if they can add it while they’re tweaking things today.