{Weekend Update}...An Update!

Happy Monday, all! You may have noticed a few changes. Some big ones, actually! After a lot of consideration, I changed the blog. My life has been changing like crazy over the past few months, and it was about time my blog reflected those changes. At a point, I had to pick up and move on. In a large part, that meant making the blog something new.

Today we're starting a fresh. You can find me at Sarah Carlson Etc. And let me tell ya, it feels good. The content will be pretty much the same. You may have noticed posts being few and far between, which was a result of much contemplating over what to do with the blog. Now that everything is settled, posts should be pretty frequent again.

Thanks for your support and readership through all the changes!

Remember! You can still find me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram! And go to the new blog! xoxo

{Friday Challenge}...Cooking Without Mom

So last week, I challenged myself (and you!) to try a new movie. I ended up seeing Apollo 13 for the first time! So this challenge is completely different. With deep fall weather sinking in, it's time to start cooking those hearty meals. My mom makes a mean beef pasty. They're like little meat, potato, carrot, rutabaga hand pie. Yum! When mom makes them, I help out, but I've never done it on my own. Surprise! That's my challenge this week. Cook mom's meal without mom. Are you up for it? What will you make?

Photo via

Democracy Rocks!

Good morning, everyone! I'm sending out a friendly reminder that today is Election Day! Are you excited? I am! This is my first presidential election, so my roommates and I have a big evening planned for a results viewing party. (One of my roommates made Obama cupcakes - yum!) Whatever your political views, I urge you to vote. We are so incredibly blessed to live in a country that not only allows, but encourages us to have a voice. Our participation in this election is vital, so get out there and be heard!

Photo 1 via NY Books; 2 via NY Mag

{Weekend Update}...Fall Back

The moon + Jupiter

I had the great pleasure of participating in the Global Voices Concert at the university yesterday with some wonderful singers! There was a great mixture of songs, this being my favorite. My family came to the cities to see me (how sweet!) and we enjoyed a great brunch at Cupcake with an a-mazing dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory. If you're ever in Minneapolis, I highly recommend both. Saturday was lazy with the roommates as we fulfilled my new challenge and watched Apollo 13 (I'd never seen it...) and baked late night cookies. 

Family pit stop at Art and Architecture

I hope your weekend was just as delightful. It looks like a gorgeous fall week ahead! And hooray for an extra hour of sleep! 

Nice surprise! Ice cream is included with your meal at OSF!

Thankful

It's November! The month of Thanksgiving. One of my friends wasn't born in America (but she recently got her U.S. citizenship, yay!) so this year we're showing her how Thanksgiving works around here. :) Every Thursday I'll be talking about something for which I'm thankful; and I'll be asking the same of you. I want to know what makes you feel grateful. It doesn't have to be big; we're just showing some gratitude.

Since I missed the first Thursday . . .

I'm thankful for my apartment and my life in the Midwest. After seeing the devastation out East, I'm every bit more blessed to live in such a quiet part of the country. I am fortunate to live too far north to be in Tornado Valley, too inland to experience earthquakes or hurricanes, and too cold to experience deadly heat. Bonus, The Great Lakes! We've got wonderful water so incredibly close. Although it may seem pretty boring here sometimes, I'm very thankful for it right now. Let's keep praying for and helping those who need it most right now. Stay strong, East Coast!

Film Fridays

Last year my sister and I made sure that every weekend we had a movie night. This usually meant we watched a tried and true favorite, so by the end of the year we had seen one film about 28 times. 

Now that the weather is officially cold (Yikes, it's already November!), my goal is to see at least one new (new to me) movie a week. This is a lofty goal, because I'm not great at sitting through movies. So I'm in need of suggestions! Here are some films I've seen and love. 

My English class recently watched Double Indemnity, so perhaps I'll have a Film Noir phase. 

P.S . . . Would you go to the movies by yourself?  Have a great weekend!

Photo via 

Rise and Shine

Considering we talk about life a lot, I thought today we'd look at mornings. It seems silly, but I'd argue that morning is the most important part of my day. Let's have a look why . . .

I get up at 6:00 am every single day of the school week. Now, my schedule varies slightly so that some days I could afford to get up 45 minutes later, but I still always roll out of bed at 6:00 am precisely. Why? I believe it's extremely important to have consistency in your life, where ever you can find it. By getting up at six, I establish a reliable (and predictable) morning, which keeps me calm and balanced. 

I keep my alarm clock far enough away from my bed so that I must physically rise, walk a few steps and turn it off. This prevents me from checking my clock in the middle of the night (I never slept straight through the night until I did this.) and keeps me from simply tapping the snooze button. 

Speaking of alarms . . . I never awake to a harsh alarm. It's jarring and frightening! Instead, I prefer something melodic, quiet, and generally happy. This is a really nice one. 

Once I'm out of bed, I do the yawn stretch (you know the one I'm talking about) and hop in the shower, get dressed, etc. Being put together helps me feel awake and ready to go. I grab some coffee and breakfast and then check my email.

I wait to check my email until now (about 6:30) because it's important to wake and have personal you time. Our lives are filled with other people, so why not start your day peacefully with just yourself?

My favorite part? I sit on my bed or in a comfy chair and read for fun as the sun rises. That's right. I read for school all the time, but every morning I read something that's fun for me. It keeps me sharp, engaged, and excited. 

What's your morning routine? Do you think it's important to have a schedule / consistency? Are you prone to check email, phone, etc. immediately? I'd love your thoughts on the importance of peaceful mornings as a way to establish balance and happiness. What's your trick?

Photos via Instagram