Sometimes life gets to be too much and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Take a break, enjoy some quiet time and this monthly mix for those situations.

The final themed mix of the year belongs to Christmas. Enjoy a longer than normal playlist filled with traditional classics.

When late fall and winter come along, the days can feel bleak and the nights can feel even longer (or more lonely). Here’s a playlist to get you through the next few melancholy nights.

I know there is a love/hate relationship many people have with holiday music. Some people love it. Some people hate it. But I genuinely like it. Except, when it basically starts playing on the radio in like…July. There is just something I cherish about listening to 85 covers of the same song while driving around picking up presents and baking. There is just something special about listening to these festive songs while wrapping gifts that makes it a much easier task. Even for a perfectionist like myself.

Right at the top, I have to admit, this is one of the most fun mixes I've made. Mainly because I got inspiration from it, randomly, from the radio and it led me down a rabbit hole. This playlist is a shout out to the summer I spent watching Gidget on TV Land as a teenager.

Time is just flying by. I can't even believe it. I feel like I'm constantly saying that too. When I originally set out to start the What I'm Listening To series of playlists, it was really just to create a playlist that was true to my listening habits. A playlist that really spanned genres. A playlist where I wasn't adding unnecessary pressure on myself with regards to sound or a theme. Don't get me wrong, I love the Monthly Mixes and themes, but a lot of work has to go into those. With What I'm Listening To I can just create a massive collection of songs and narrow them down with which ones I'm not absolutely sick of by the end of the month.

I have pretty lukewarm feelings about summer. Mainly because it's always way too hot to function and sometimes breathing in walls of dust isn't exactly fun. But one thing I do enjoy are summer mixes. There is just a different vibe to them compared to any other mixes made through the year. Sometimes they can be fun and upbeat and other times they can be chilled out and relaxed. This one is more chilled out and relaxed. Mix no. 17 was inspired by long, dreamy summer days. The days where nothing sounds better than relaxing in the pool with a cold beverage. Sadly that's not plausible every day, but still, I wanted this mix to have that feel.

More than half the year is over which has completely taken me by surprise. I can't think of where the time has gone. It seems like just last week I was starting a new semester and contemplating having my wisdom teeth removed. Now its July. My semester went amazing, the wisdom teeth are freshly removed (yikes), and now we've reached the point of the year where everything begins to move faster than a snowball rolling down a mountainside. I must admit I'm hopeful for the rest of the year and I hope things begin to go a bit more my way, but I must remain cautiously optimistic about the whole thing.