October Edit — Cozy Rituals, Slow Strength & Honest Reflections

October always feels like a soft exhale. An invitation to slow down, reconnect, and bring warmth & comfort back into our lives (and our bellies). After months of sunshine, travel and movement, I found myself craving a grounding reset.

I absolutely love the energy of a new season, fall feels like a personal new year… an opportunity to reinvent yourself through new routines, self-care, and carefully set blocks of focus work/study/new hobbies (insert your…).

For some, the seasons shift can feel a little unsettling… perhaps routines feel outdated & we’ve lost motivation to show up for certain activities that once felt natural (I sure have). But I’ve learned it’s not about quitting; it’s about pivoting. I hit a plateau this month, feeling deeply uninspired to workout, after trying to push harder or contemplating giving up (for now), I changed direction: slower, shorter strength training sessions combining heavier loads and mindful execution, with indulgent & fluid mat flows, and finally, new walking routes under the cooler sunny Greek skies (with a fresh playlist that’s been setting the tone for this quieter yet invigorating month).

At home, the Martha Stewards within has awakened! I’ve been ordering new decorative pillows & throws to welcome the new season, bringing color and greenery indoors to liven up the space as the days get shorter and darker, baking (my gooey double chocolate cookies are officially on repeat), and keeping a tidy space through small daily cleaning bursts. It’s amazing how those little rituals can shift your entire mindset.

I simply pick ONE 10-20min. cleaning task per day and voila, a clean home! (you can create your own list but here’s what’s been working for me):

• Clean bathroom

• Vacuum + dust living room

• Mop + landry day

• Change bedsheets + dust bedroom

• Clean kitchen counter & table

• Clean kitchen drawers + dust furniture

• Choose something to deep clean (ex. closet)

*plus every night, I tidy up for a few minutes, putting everything at its place, and wipe my stove & bathroom sink.

Lately, I’ve also been diving back into study + cozy reading sessions. Finally opening The Power of Habit (after years of hiding in my drawer!) and beginning my NLP studies (sparingly and for personal interest - I’ve always been fascinated by how our minds work and how much power we have to shape our lives with awareness and intention. (More on that soon…)

But this month brought a big realization; an aha! moment that’s become my October reflection…

Taking full responsibility for my life.

It’s so easy to blame timing, circumstances, emotions, or hormones (I know!). For me, this month really highlighted how often I’d jump from one idea to another, expecting instant results or even miracles. I still believe in miracles, I’m a dreamer, but I’m learning—with a lot of resistance—that true change comes from patience too and showing up consistently. Deep down, I realized I hadn’t fully trusted myself. I’d built a pattern of letting myself down, of not keeping my word to me, so my internal story has been “you’ll let yourself down, it’s not worth trying”, “you don’t stick to anything, anyways”, “your PMDD will ruin it”. This realization that taking full responsibility isn’t pressure nor is it a prison, on the contrary, it’s power, has been such a turning point.

October reflections:

• Where in your life might you not be taking 100% responsibility?

• What would shift if you did?

A Few of My Favorite Things

• Listening to: MatFlow: October 2025 Playlist — for slow, steady, strong sessions.

• Baking on repeat: Gooey double chocolate cookies (PMS-approved & ready in 10 minutes)

• Reading: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

• Fall Beauty+Wellness Edit:

  Jo Malone Mimosa & Cardamom candle (the gift that keeps on giving)

  Aura Del Sol cream blush with a satin finish brings and instant natural flush to the skin while keeping it hydrated

  Acqua Colonia Yuzu & Cedarwood cologne (my fall scent)

  COSRX Snail 96 + La Roche-Posay Cicaplast B5 for that hydration lock

  Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-Eyes mascara has been a game-changer for my short, thin & straight eyelashes

• Watching: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and the Victoria Beckham docuseries, both comic & inspiring!

Here’s to cozy rituals, slower rhythms, and taking our power back this October.

Love, Isabella xo