Monday, 9/29/25: Talking about a fall coffee chat
Happy Monday!
It’s a new week, which means it’s time for your next Monday motivation newsletter.
Read on below for some steps to a happier Monday and some positive thoughts to get your week started.
Three Steps to a Happier Monday
Each newsletter starts with three prompts to inspire gratitude and simple intention setting. Take a moment and jot down answers to these three questions. To give an example, I share my answers below.
Step 1: What are three things I appreciated from the weekend?
Step 2: What is one thing I can be excited about today?
Step 3: What is my intention for this week?
GRATITUDE: From my weekend, I am thankful for downtime, Matt’s mom (who brought us dinner each night!) and positive signs.
TODAY: Today, I’m most excited for quiet time this morning.
INTENTION: My intention this week is to focus on trusting myself – and my body.
Okay, your turn! And if you want to share your three steps, I am all ears. 🙂
Meaningful Musings: Fall Coffee Chat
Morning!
Let’s get this week started with a cozy coffee chat, shall we? Think of today’s newsletter like two friends catching up about life while drinking something delicious.
First, the coffee. What are you drinking? I’m savoring my one coveted cup of coffee (currently enjoying Starbucks Fall Blend) with my favorite fall candleburning (at the time of writing, it’s currently on sale… treat yourself!). I’m leaning into the calm, quiet vibes as things are about to get a lot busier around here…
Life lately…
Big news in our household: I’m being induced THIS WEEK!
Due to some medical conditions that have continued to creep up in this last trimester, my doctor has suggested a 37-week induction, which Matt and I are totally onboard with. I’m so thankful the baby continues to look great, even if some of my vitals are telling a different story.
While the last couple weeks of pregnancy have looked different than I imagined – I pictured myself buzzing around the house finishing nesting projects, batch cooking for the freezer, trying curb walks! – I’ve readjusted expectations. Instead, it’s been cozy couch time with my feet raised, extra monitoring and practicing asking for help (thankfully, we have lots of offers). And the very best news: Matt and I get to meet our little guy three weeks early!
There’s a lot of excitement and anticipation in the air at our house right now, and we’ll take all the good thoughts and prayers heading into this week.
On a lighter note, books have continued to be an anchor for me lately. Last week I read Back After This, a cute, smart, refreshing take on the typical romance novel. For my morning nonfiction book, I speed-read my way through I Just Wish I Had a Bigger Kitchen by Kate Strickler of Naptime Kitchen. Like all books, some parts resonated more than others, but I loved the overall message of contentment.
And when I found myself back in the hospital for an overnight monitoring stay at the end of last week, I came prepared: the coziest pajamas (a generous gift from my MIL!) and a book I’d been saving – Elin Hilderbrand’s newest, The Academy. There’s just something about her novels. To me, they’re the perfect “low-risk” read: I know from page one I’ll be intrigued and entertained, without having to think too hard or track too many details (aka why it was perfect for my hospital stay). I love the way she writes characters and settings (her food descriptions!!). And the setting of this one – a New England boarding school in the fall – could not be more perfect right now.
Reflecting on…
I knew it was coming, but it still caught me off guard.
It = the third-trimester “OMG can I do this?” moment.
For me, it hit while setting up a bunch of new baby gear last weekend. Every stroller piece, bottle sterilizer, pump part and monitor each came with its own thick, confusing manual, and the whole process felt like a metaphor for how much I don’t know. Feeling overwhelmed was an understatement.
Luckily, my mom was with me and just when I felt buried in instructions and doubt, she reminded me: it’s not my job to know everything right now. My job is to stay calm, create a low-stress environment and figure things out as they come.
I’m someone who finds comfort in extreme preparation (you can’t control the outcome, but you can control your preparation!), so this is still very much a work in progress, but I’m reminding myself daily that calm > control.
On a very different – and more uplifting! – note, another reflection from last week was sparked by realizing September 22 marked 100 days left in the year.
For some reason, that milestone always inspires me to pause and think. One hundred days feels like just the right amount of time: long enough to make meaningful progress, but short enough that it doesn’t feel too daunting. I love using it as a prompt to think about how I want to approach the rest of the year.
Putting aside what has or hasn’t already happened this year, I ask myself: What’s most important to me as the year winds down? How do I want to feel at the end of the year – and what can I do in these last 100 days to get there? What goals do I still want to chase? What previous goals aren’t working for me anymore? And just as important, what have I already accomplished?
I’d love to hear: how are you approaching these last 100 days? What are you most looking forward to? What do you want to focus on?
Looking ahead…
Of course, the thing I’m most looking forward to is finally holding this baby in my arms for the first time.
Alongside that, I’m also very excited for maternity leave – for figuring out new rhythms, for family visits, for time with my mom and for a stretch in December when Matt and I will both be off and learning how to exist as a family of three.
As for this newsletter, I’m not sure what maternity leave will look like. I’ll definitely be sending a note once the baby is here, but otherwise, I’m not putting pressure on myself to keep a regular cadence. That said, I love this outlet for documenting real-time experiences (and writing feels very therapeutic to me!), so I hope to pop in with a few check-ins here and there.
As always, thank you for being here and for reading. I hope you have a great week!
Picture of the Week
That’s all for today! I hope you found something in today’s newsletter that sparked motivation, made you smile or inspired a positive Monday thought. Don’t underestimate the power of starting small… a fulfilling week starts with just one fulfilling day. You’ve got this!
Let’s make it a great Monday!
Megan