Hello everyone! Happy Wednesday! I hope you are all having a great week! I don’t know about you, but a few weeks after the holidays pass, I am looking for something new to do. That’s one of the reasons why I love New Year’s resolutions and hobbies, it gives me something to work on and look forward to. I shared my New Year’s Resolutions a few weeks ago and I have already made some headway with them.
Winter has returned
Today, I’m sharing my Winter Bucket List for 2025. These posts are some of my favorite to put together. I love coming up with new ideas of things I hope to do and this list is a great fallback if I am looking for something to do with friends or family. There are some things I try to do every year and some new things on the bucket list. I am always open to suggestions for winter fun-especially in the snow, which we get a lot of.
Without further ado, here’s my 2025 Winter Bucket List:
Start Working on My New Year’s Resolutions
Go Skiing or Sled Riding
Ice Skating
Library Winter Reading Challenge
Read The Lazy Genius Cookbook
Read by the Fire with a Warm Drink
Finish Breaking Bad and start a new show
Simplicity Challenge
Try a New Winter Activity
Donate Blood
Have a Movie Day
Fondue Night
Try New Recipes
Winter Walks and Runs
Try A New Coffee Shop
Do Something Creative
Celebrate Valentine’s Day
This is just a start of what I want to accomplish over the next few months. I know it will be chilly and I won’t be able to spend as much time as I want outdoors, but I plan on making the most of the winter season.
I also want to use these next few months to slow down, reset, and refocus as we enter a new year. Tell me, whether you have snow or not, what’s on your Winter Bucket List and what do you hope to accomplish over the next few months? I would love to hear from you!
Have a great rest of your week and I will see you back here on Friday for another roundup of Friday Favorites!
I hope you are having a wonderful week and are enjoying the Christmas season. We got a ton of snow, needless to say, it’s been a winter wonderland.
I don’t know about you, but since Christmas is only a few weeks away, I’m doing my best to enjoy everything this season has to offer, while doing all the daily things. We decorated for Christmas last week and it put me in the best mood.
There’s so much to celebrate and accomplish and only so much time. My favorite way to make sure I’m enjoying the season to the fullest is by making a Christmas Bucket List.
Here’s what I hope to accomplish this Christmas Season:
Decorate for Christmas (room and home decorations, scents, and mugs)
Listen to Christmas Music
Watch Christmas Movies (Cheesy ones and the Classics)
Read Christmas Themed Books
See a Christmas Show/Performance
Christmas Shopping and Wrapping
Send out Christmas Cards
Go Skiing
Go Ice Skating
Exchange Gifts with Friends
Bake Christmas Cookies
Try a New Christmas Recipe
See Christmas Lights
Enjoy a New Christmas Activity
Light a fire and Enjoy Hot Chocolate
Get a Tree and Decorate it
Give Back to Others
Build a Gingerbread House
Celebrate Christmas and New Year’s
There you have it! My Christmas Bucket List, I know I will be spending lots of time with family and friends too! I love creating a goal list to hold me accountable and to give me ideas of things to do on days off or weekends. Tell me: what do you plan to do ahead of Christmas? I am always looking for new ideas of things to celebrate the Christmas season.
Have a wonderful Christmas season and I’ll see you back here on Friday!
Happy Wednesday! I hope you’ve had an enjoyable week so far. We are halfway to the weekend and a few days away from a new month. This weekend is Easter Sunday, and my family will all be together for a few days. Although it will be a short weekend, I’m looking forward to it.
This month flew by, between spring-like days, a few snowy mornings and activities across the month, it was a busy March.
Here’s a look at what I’m currently up to:
What I’ve Been Up To: I have been making my way through my Spring Bucket List. I have already accomplished a few things, but will have to wait for more consistent warm weather to accomplish others.
I have been doing my best to get outdoors and that has included walks with friends, trips to the zoo and running.
First trip to the zoo of the year!
We had a stretch of warm weather and my friend and I went for walks three times in one week, it was great to catch up, get outside and do a free activity.
A day that included all the outside time!
I also got to meet up with one of my college friends for lunch. We met halfway on a day off and it was so good to catch up and share a meal together.
One of the goals I already accomplished was running 6 miles. Although, I was sore for a while after, it felt great to hit another mile.
One of my latest runs and recent records
What I’m Wearing: My wardrobe hasn’t been too exciting as of late, but I have been browsing T.J. Maxx and Marshall’s for some Spring finds. I do see a trip to Old Navy in my future soon to see what things they have on their racks for the new season.
I have been getting some wear out of my new bright, pink jacket from T.J. Maxx. It’s bright for the spring season, but also warm enough for the chilly, early spring days.
I also broke out my green for St. Patrick’s Day!
What I’m Reading:
A majority of March was spent reading the American Royals series. There are four books by Katharine McGee, American Royals, Rivals, Majesty, and Reign.
I have talked about the books in Friday Favorites posts, but in case you missed them. Each book follows the fictionalized Royal family of America. Imagine if the United States had a king and queen. Every book picks up right after the other in this four-part series. Themes of romance, coming of age, service, duty, and love are found in each of the books. They are a young adult genre, so the topics are more PG-13 compared to R. Every book ended with a cliffhanger which made you want to immediately pick up the next one. I really loved how the author wrapped up everything in the final book. Definitely a fun series to read in the spring and summer.
The Last Love Note– I finished The Last Love Note by Emma Grey in four days. I kept looking for pockets of time to keep reading. Without giving too much away, it’s all about a woman who looks to move on and grieve after losing her husband to Alzheimers. The book goes back and forth between his diagnosis and her life after he dies. It’s a story of second loves, grief, moving on and hope.
Longbourn– I also finished Longbourn. It’s a spinoff Pride and Prejudice based all about the maids and servants who work in the Bennett household. I love Jane Austen and this was such a fun read to take me back to Jane Austen times. Kendra Adachi, the Lazy Genius read and recommened the book and I’m so glad I decided to pick it up. I only wish I read the physical copy of it and not the digital copy of it.
Mother Daughter Murder Night– I saw this book on a few blogs and I couldn’t wait to dive in. Mother Daughter Murder Night tells the story about a mother who moves in with her daughter and granddaughter temporarily, while she’s there, a murder happens in the small town. The grandmother looks to solve it on her own and quickly enlists the help of her daughter and granddaughter. It’s a fun “Who Done It?”, but with the family drama. I really enjoyed the book and couldn’t put it down at the end.
What I’m Watching:
Some of my favorite shows have made their return after a long hiatus. The Masked Singer came back at the start of the month and it’s been fun to see who gets revealed every week.
Grey’s Anatomy also came back in the middle of the month. These shows have been keeping me entertained during the week.
What Inspires Me: I have been staying busy in the kitchen over the past few weeks. Here’s some of the recipes I have made.
Air Fryer Salmon Bowls
Lemon Olive Oil Muffins
Homemade Coffee Cake
Crab Cakes
Homemade Fish Fry
Turkey Pot Pie
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Roasted Chicken
What I Accomplished:
I enjoyed making my way through my Spring Bucket list as well as seeing family and friends and getting outside.
Donuts for the spring season!
Sunday spread
Goals from Last Month
I enjoyed the early days of spring. I also got to enjoy some St. Patrick’s Day fun!
I made some St. Patrick’s Day cookies for the holiday!
I also got to enjoy the St. Patrick’s Day parade
My brother and I also got to see one of our favorite comedians on tour.
Goals for this Month
Next month, I am looking forward to trying more spring recipes, spending more time outdoors and having more spring-inspired dates.
This quote left me feeling inspired
That’s a look into what I have been up to this month. I hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend if you celebrate! See you back here on Friday!
Happy Wednesday. I hope you are having a great week so far, as we make our way through the middle of January. Winter is here and it won’t be going away for a while, at least for me. All of our Christmas decorations have been taken down and we have transitioned to winter decor, which includes cleaner surfaces, more empty spaces, and simpler decor.
Now that the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season is behind us, as sad as I was to have seen it go, it has been nice to have less stuff around the house, more freedom in my schedule and start on a clean slate for the new year. It’s also gave me time to plot out my goals for the winter months, which includes my winter bucket list.
Here’s some fun things I want to accomplish over the next few months:
Complete Simplicity Challenge
Hockey game
Ice skating
Sled riding
Reading by the fire
Find a new show to binge watch
Play more board games and puzzles
Try new recipes in the kitchen
Work on my new hobbies for the new year
Winter walks followed by warm drinks
Skiing (either downhill or cross country)
Movie and junk food day
Celebrate Valentine’s Day
This is just a start of some of the things I want to accomplish over the next few months in addition to work, spending time with family, seeing friends, and daily happenings.
After a busy end of the year, I like to give myself more grace and space in the new year for rest, house and work projects and downtime. As much as I LOVE the holiday season, it is nice to have an open schedule in the new year.
That’s a look at my Winter Bucket List, as we start the new year and season, what are some things you hope to accomplish in the winter months? Let me know in the comments below!
Have a great rest of your week and I will see you back here for another edition of Friday Favorites!
Happy first full week of September. I hope you had a great Labor Day weekend and soaked up the last big weekend of summer. I still plan on keeping the shorts on and enjoying the sunshine for as long as I can this month.
September is always a month of transition, from getting back into a new routine being back to school, to the changing weather, this month can be a busy one. Over the next few weeks, I have some day trips planned, lots of appointments that I scheduled for when things calmed down from the busy summer and then some friend dates. I’m looking forward to crossing things off my to-do list and starting my fall bucket list!
Speaking of bucket lists, here’s a look at my summer bucket list all completed:
I got so much accomplished this summer, both on my list and doing things that came up through the summer, needless to say it was a fun and packed full summer. From trips to New York City, Toronto and San Diego, to lots of walks and picnics, grilling and pool days, it was a memorable summer!
Summer is a photo!
Now that we are slowly saying goodbye to summer, it’s time to start thinking about FALL!
I started a fall bucket list at the beginning of the month and will add to it over the next few weeks, but here’s what I hope to accomplish over the next few months.
My Fall Bucket List
Apple Picking
Fall Walks
Collect Leaves
Make Apple Recipe
Try A New Recipe Once a Week
Bonfire
Football Game
Pumpkin Patch and Carve Pumpkins
Celebrate Halloween
Make Chili
Use Kitchen Aid
Read Fall Books
Go to a Fall Fest
Celebrate Thanksgiving
Enjoy Apple Cider
Hockey Game
Soup Recipe
Kinzua Hike
Elk Watching
That’s just a start into what I hope to accomplish over the next few months. I love to make to-do lists and bucket lists because they give me ideas of things to do for fun and it encourages me to take advantage of my hometown and the season. I hope this gives you some ideas of fun things to do in the fall season.
Tell me, do you have a fall bucket list? What do you hope to accomplish?
Happy Wednesday! I hope you are having a great week! Remember how I felt like July went by in a blink of an eye? Well August went by even faster. This month has been a whirlwind between traveling, big work projects, back to school, and wrapping up summer fun!
As one month end and another one begins, I’m recapping this past month and all the memories and adventures that came with it.
Here’s a look at this month’s Currently.
What I’m Up To: This past month has been all about soaking up the final days of summer, from hiking in new places, completing bucket list items, and traveling to new places, I have been busy but in the best way possible.
It’s local festival season!
And local farm show season!
Plus, no summer event isn’t complete without a funnel cake!
I’ve attended community fairs and festivals, been spending lots of time outside and have been reading lots of fun, summer books.
My trip to Toronto was a highlight for sure!
What I’m Wearing: I have been continuing the trend of shorts and graphic tees.When my family and I went on vacation to San Diego, California, I wore a lot of neutrals to mix and match and keep it simple for travel. Here’s some of my favorite summer outfits. My shorts are from Old Navy and so are some of my shirts too.
A few of my looks from vacation.
Lots of color coordinated outfits.
And some bright colors too!
I have also been doing my best to wear all the bright colors for my dresses for work. I only have a small window to wear in the warm months, so I’m doing my best to wear them all.
Bright blue for work!
What I’m Reading: This past month has been such a good month for reading for me
Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch follows the story of a young girl who loses her mom and her mom’s dying wish is for her daughter to go to Florence and reconnect with people from her mother’s time when she lived there. This book checks all the boxes for a cute rom com book. Dreamy city, beautiful description, incredible Italian food and desserts, and a little romance too. I blitzed through this book and was so sad when it came to an end.
The sweetest summer book!
Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune tells the story a young woman who takes over her mother’s resort on the lake. She plans on making some changes when she gets some unexpected help from someone from her past that she always wanted to forgot. I really enjoyed the story and finished it within a week. I’m also excited that it’s going to be making its way to the screen as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be working with Netflix to turn it into a movie.
Better than Fiction by Alexa Martin and it combined two of my favorite hobbies, reading and hiking! This book follows the story of a young woman who inherits her grandmother’s book store. As she tries to manage this new project, enter a fan-favorite author. He’s visiting her small town for inspiration for his new book and they make a deal. She shows him around the area and he teaches her how to love books.
Mrs. Nash’s Ashes by Sarah Adler follows the story of a young woman who makes it her mission to deliver her neighbor turned best friend’s ashes to her long lost lover. However, the journey to get the ashes delivered does not go smooth. She ends up traveling with someone from her past and they endure all sorts of detours. The book goes back and forth between the past and present and there’s so many twists and turns, you will question if they will ever make it to their final destination.
What I’m Watching: As summer winds down, I’m finishing up my summer shows. I finished season two of the Summer I Turned Pretty. Overall, I thought the season was pretty good. I definitely enjoyed the first season more but I thought the second season had some great storylines and the finale left a lot of questions for season 3! If you watched, what did you think of the finale and Belly’s choice?
I also finished the first part of Outlander. This was another show that had a lot of ups and downs this season. There were some major plot twists with characters that I did not see coming. I’m anxious to see where it picks up and how things get wrapped up when it returns.
I also finished season two of “And Just Like That”, it was such a good season. I loved the callbacks to earlier seasons of the show, the fashion and the friendships. The finale was really good, especially with the surprise appearance by Samantha! I was also excited to see that the show was renewed for season 3! I already can’t wait for next season!
And last but not least, I finished the new season of Sweet Magnolias. Although, there was some drama this season including some fights, fallouts and relationship shakeups between characters, I really enjoyed seeing the characters come together in the end.
What Inspires Me: I have been enjoying all the summer salads with fresh fruits and vegetables. I hate wasting food, so I have been enjoying salads and bowls with lots of food that I already have in the fridge. Here’s been some of my favorite salads.
A spinach and strawberry and pecan salad. This is the perfect blend of fruits, veggies and some crunch too.
Strawberry and spinach salad
A steak salad on top a bed of veggies keeps you full and gives you lots of flavor.
A steak salad
A peach and chicken salad
Speaking of fresh vegetables, I have been so inspired and proud of my garden. Although, I have lost some plants, I’m so happy with the ones that have grown and flourished. I’ll be doing a bigger blog post on this later in the season, but seeing seeds turn into bright, red tomatoes is certainly inspiring.
My baby tomatoes
The fruits of my labor
Four fresh tomatoes
What I Accomplished: August was a busy month. I kicked it off by attending our local National Night Out.
My boyfriend and I did a day trip to Toronto, you can read about our adventure here.
The iconic Toronto sign
My boyfriend and I also went blueberry picking for the first time which was so much fun and I made some tasty muffins too!
Our haul
The best way to use blueberries!
Soaking up the end of summer with nighttime concerts.
Summer S’mores!
My family and I took our family vacation to San Diego which was so fun! We packed a lot in and made a ton of memories. It was the best way to spend time together before we all went our separate ways from school to work.
From the palm trees
The hikes and ocean
Enjoying some iconic West Coast food.
The San Diego Zoo
Balboa Park
Goals from Last Month: I accomplished my goal of running my first 5K, you can read about my journey here.
Finishing my first 5K!
I accomplished almost everything from my summer bucket list. There were a few things that I didn’t get done, but I plan to do them in the fall.
The best part of this past month was all the family time. The older I get, the more, I realize how important family time is and how much I try to treasure every moment I have with my family and siblings. This summer has been so special that we have all been home under one roof.
End of summer Lobster rolls!
Goals for Next Month: Even though it’s September, I still plan on enjoying the warm weather and soaking up the sunshine. I’m not ready to think about fall yet, but I know I will have to eventually, right now, I’m all about savoring every last bit of summer. I will also be sharing my fall bucket next week!
Enjoying evening walks after work can continue in the fall.
There you have it, another Currently in the books. Tell me, what were some of your favorite parts of August?
Let me know in the comments below! Have a great rest of your week and end of August! See you back here on Friday!
Happy Wednesday! Depending on when you are reading this, I am either on my way back from my family vacation or I am already back to life, work and reality. It was so good to get away with my family and make memories, especially before everyone heads back to school. We had such a great summer with everyone being home and I’m sad to see my siblings head back to school. Thankfully for me, there’s no summer vacation when you are working, so the summer fun doesn’t stop here. There’s still plenty of time to enjoy the warm weather and activities.
Now onto, today’s post!
One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to run a 5K and I crossed that off my bucket list on August 5th.
Getting ready to race!
To give you a little background, I have never enjoyed running, so I didn’t do it as a form of exercise growing up or as an adult. I preferred weight training, walks, the elliptical, or bike to get my cardio in. However, I was always amazed at people who loved running, ran miles a day and competed and I always gave them major credit for their dedication and drive.
At the start of the year when I was creating my yearly goals, I wanted to find a way to challenge myself physically and mentally and decided running was something I could do to set a goal and see the end results. It was also something new I had never tried before, and I was excited for the challenge.
I am by no means an expert at running or training for long distance running, however, this is what worked for me and how I trained for my first (spoiler alert-not last) 5K.
My boyfriend has run for years and ran competitively in grade school, high school and college, so I asked him for some advice ahead of my training.
Here’s what he recommended for training for a race; give yourself plenty of time to train, incorporate a rest or walk day after a run day, build up your mileage as you go (you want to be able to run more miles than just what the race is intended for), and even if you aren’t feeling it and your time is bad, still get your run in.
I started my training in the winter by running at the gym when I would go to lift and workout. I started small by running half a mile or so and just to get my body used to running.
Some of my early runs
As the seasons changed from winter to spring, I started to run outdoors and for longer distances as it got warmer. I started running a mile and then upped my mileage every few weeks until I was running over three miles before my race. I started to run on a treadmill at the gym (which I was not a fan of- I don’t like being stagnant), I also did a majority of my running in my yard which is a mix of pavement and grass and then I did some running on just pavement.
Some of my early runs at the start of the summer.
Training for my race wasn’t always fun or easy, there were days where I was slower since I did a heavier lift at the gym or I was tired or I wasn’t in the right state of mind, but since April I ran two or three times a week and on the tough days, I would always tell myself, at least I ran, even if my time wasn’t where I wanted it to be at.
While I ran, I would often listen to a podcast, music, or even an audiobook. I found that helped keep me focused or maybe distracted when I was struggling to finish.
One of the podcasts I would listen to on runs.
The more I ran, the more I was surprised with how I had come to enjoy the run. At the beginning, it would be a challenge sometimes to finish a mile, but towards the end, I was exceeding three miles and I would keep going. I loved the way I would feel at the end of the run. I felt stronger with each mile I finished, and I loved the feelings of endorphins released at the end. I kept track of all my runs and got excited to see my times change as my miles increased. It was also a great reminder to see how far I had come.
One of my runs.
Through my training, I decided to upgrade my sneakers. I had been running on the same sneakers I had for years that were getting worn out, so I upgraded my kicks this year to a pair of New Balance. I have been loving them for my training.
My new running sneakers
Some of my favorite runs while I was training were when I was at the beach and running on just pavement and not around my yard.
More training
When it came time for finding a 5K, I chose a local festival that had a community 5K in the morning before the festivities got underway. My goal for the day was to just finish it and have fun.
Getting ready to race!
I was nervous on race day, since it was my first time competing and I later learned they had the largest crowd for the race, over 200 people competing. Based on advice other runners gave me, I decided to forgo music or podcasts and just run and I’m so glad I did, it put me in a different mindset, and I believe it ultimately made me faster in the end.
My whole family came out to support me and cheer me on and my boyfriend ran with me too. I finished the race with my best time ever.
My official race time!
I had such a good experience, and I definitely got the runner’s bug. While this was my first race, it certainly won’t be my last. I loved the journey to get to where I am today and now, I want to continue to do better with my and challenge myself to longer runs.
Finishing my first 5K!
Stay tuned for my next 5K! I’m so glad I stuck to my goal of competing and through this process, I discovered a new hobby. I’m proud to officially call myself a runner!
Happy Wednesday! It makes me sad to that we are at the end of July. I feel like June was so well paced and a great introduction to summer and then July came and went in a blink of an eye. There’s always so much anticipation to summer and then it goes by too fast. I know August will be a busy month with end of summer activities and people heading back to school.
Summer is in full bloom!
In good news, I did my best to make the most out of July! From a low key Fourth of July to a concert, seeing friends and some pool days, it was packed full of summer fun in between work. Here’s a look at what I’ve been up to.
What I’m Up To– July started off with the Fourth of July, this year was a bit more lowkey as it fell in the middle of the week and I was working, but my family and I still grilled and enjoyed some Fourth fun and sunshine after work. It’s more about the people and moments than all the extra hustle and bustle.
Our Fourth of July spread
This month, I also made two trips to the Pittsburg area. The first was to catch up with friends for lunch and dinner. Living long distance and being on different work schedules has made it challenging to see some friends so it was great to catch up in person and enjoy some time outside too.
Catching up with friends is always good for the soul
My second trip was to see Ed Sheeran in concert which was so fun. I saw him back during his Divide tour and I was excited to see him perform songs from all his albums.
Ed Sheeran’s tour
I also got to enjoy some live music this summer, our city always does a great job at hosting live music events, and I have gone to a few of them. There’s nothing better than live music by the water.
Live music in the summer, a must for summer!
I also enjoyed lots of time outside, having pool and reading days on my days off. We had a stretch of beautiful weather and I tried to soak up as much time outside as possible.
Reading by the pool days
Summer walks by the water.
What I’m Wearing– Last week, I shared some summer outfits that I have been wearing to work, you can read more about it here.
I also have been into skorts and casual skirts recently too. Here’s been some of my favorite looks.
I have also been wearing shorts and all the graphic t-shirts. They are so easy to throw on for off days especially when I’m outside and just relaxing on days off.
Also, t-shirt dresses are a major win for me in the summer, they are lightweight and easy to throw on after work or heading out and about to run errands, you look put together with minimal effort. A win across the board.
Perfect for a day in the city
What I’m Reading– I had such a good month for reading. This month has been a mixed bag of genres and they have been so fun!
Happy Place- I couldn’t wait to dive into this book. Happy Place tells the story of six friends reuniting in their favorite spot for one last summer trip together and one of the couples pretending they are still together when they have broken up. The personalities of the friends, the description of the setting and the nostalgia had me craving a week at the lake. I read this book on vacation and it was the perfect beach read. If you haven’t read this book yet or any of Emily Henry’s books, you are missing out.
Such a fun, summer read!
My Hygee Home- I got this book for my birthday and it’s all about making a house a home and ways to incorporate Hygee which is a Danish practice into your home. I learned a lot of practical lessons about ways to make your home cozy and useful and purposeful too. It would be a great coffee table book and a great read too. You can easily finish it in one sitting.
28 Summers- 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand was such a fun summer read. It’s about a man and woman who meet as young college students and agree to meet up every summer in Nantucket no matter what. Now, let me start out by saying, I don’t believe in cheating or having affairs, but I did enjoy reading about how no matter what was going on in these character’s lives, they always met up every year. I loved seeing how their relationship changed and stayed the same through the years. I also loved reading all about Nantucket and it makes me want to visit even more.
A favorite summer read.
What I’m Watching– Summer is typically a slower time for me for tv shows, but now with streaming services, I feel like there are more options to watch different shows. I’ve done some binge watching, but a lot of these shows have episodes that come out weekly. This summer, I have been watching Outlander, which I have really been enjoying this season, especially the twist with Roger and Brianna. I won’t say more than that to avoid spoilers, but these episodes have been really good.
I also have been watching And Just Like That, every week, again, another light and fun show. In my opinion, season two has had really good episodes and some have fallen flat for me. Overall, I still love the friendships, the fashion and the nostalgia and that’s what draws me in week after week.
As far as binge-watching goes, I have been watching The Summer I Turned Pretty on Amazon Prime. I never read the books, but I watched the first season last summer and thought it was cute and I wanted to see what was in store for season 2. This season has been definitely more dramatic and intense, but it’s still fun to watch. There are moments that are a bit unrealistic, but overall, it’s a fun show to watch at the end of the day.
Lastly, Sweet Magnolias has been my other go-to binge watch. If watching this show doesn’t make you want to move to a small Southern town, I don’t know what does. I love the aspects of southern hospitality, the one-liners and life lessons and most of all the friendships. Such a fun summer show.
What Inspires Me– I have been inspired by my garden that I started at the beginning of this summer. I am finally seeing some progress and some buds. It’s been exciting to see it grow as I tend to it every day.
My garden so far!
My first set of veggies! Peas!
I’ve also been inspired by finding new places to walk and hike. I have my places that I love to go to, but it’s been fun to find new spots and explore new places and get some exercise too.
Plus no summer would be complete without a trip to the zoo!
What I Accomplished– I’ve been doing my best to soak up summer and I think I’ve been doing a good job with it by trying to build in slower days in a busy schedule. I have also been trying to go to as many events that are traditions and free and fun! Plus, I’ve been doing everything I can do to spend time outside, from reading to grilling outside, I have been soaking up all the sun!
I’ve also been enjoying lots of meals outside.
Plus lots of grilling too!
Goals from Last Month– I made the most of summer and actitvites by crossing things off my summer bucket list. From friends, to new adventures and places and visiting old spots, it’s been a packed month. Plus, throw in some family time and you have a great July!
Summer beach days in July!
I’ve also been enjoying trying new recipes! Last week, I made homemade chicken sandwiches! So good!
A mix between a McChicken and Chick Fil A sandwich! Yum!
Goals for Next Month-The time is almost here. I’m crossing something off my 2023 New Year’s Resolutions and Summer Bucket List by running my first 5K. I have been training for it since the spring and all of this summer and I think I’m almost ready. A 5K may not seem like a huge accomplishment, but for someone who has always hated running, the fact I am excited to do this and have enjoyed the hobby is a big deal to me. I’m looking forward to finishing and accomplishing it next month. I’ve been running longer distances and I’m proud of myself for what my body can do.
Next month, I’m also looking to some family time as we take a little getaway and then some final summer adventures.
July flew by, but looking back, I accomplished so much. I know August will be busy with trying to get everything done, but I’m excited to see what the next month brings.
June, where have you gone?! I can’t believe we are at the end of another month. There were certain times that this month felt slow and sweet and then I blinked, and I was planning things for July. These past 30 days have been filled with lots of walks, books, grilling, sunshine, and summer adventures. I have been making my way through my summer bucket list and doing more things that weren’t on the list. As we prepare to flip the calendar. Here’s a look at what’s Currently going on in my life.
What I’ve Been Up To: Through the entire month of June, I have been marking things off my summer bucket list. From day trips, to picnics, walks and time outdoors, I have done a lot.
This month, I made a trip to Columbus, where I went to the zoo and state park for grilling and a beach day.
Columbus Zoo!
More animals- I loved the polar bears!
And gorillas!
And finished the day at the beach!
I also enjoyed playing mini golf and trying a new to me pizza shop and park for a walk.
Pizza in the park!
Picking strawberries was on my summer bucket list and I accomplished that and made seven jars of jam in addition to lots of fresh berries to eat.
Strawberry picking day!
Our haul!
Some of the end results!
And strawberry shortcake too!
Another big highlight of the month was my birthday present from my boyfriend, more on that in the coming weeks!
Here’s a tease for where I went…
I rounded out the month with a trip to the beach to visit family and it was so good to see relatives and get some time by the water.
The shores of New Jersey!
The boardwalk!
What I’m Wearing: Besides your typical shorts and graphic t-shirts on days off, I did a big summer clothing haul at the start of summer and have been wearing new pieces to work. Lots of bright colors and patterns, plus quality clothing coming your way too.
One of my new dresses. I have been wearing lots of pink!
I also have been wearing lots of short sets too! Like this one!
What I’m Reading: I got a lot of books for my birthday and have been slowly making my way through them.
I started this month with Best Served Hot. I saw this book on display at the library and was immediately drawn in by the plot and checked all the boxes for a good read! Rom-com, takes place in a big city, and talks about food! The story follows a food critique and a food influencer as they try out different restaurants in NYC, first as competitors and then on a collaborators. The best and dare I say, worst part of the book was the details of all the foods they were tasting. The description was so vivid, which just made me hungry while I was reading.
I also read Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng. I really enjoyed her book, Little Fires Everywhere and I was excited to read this book. I will admit, it was a heavier novel, but I learned so much about the Asian American culture and customs. It’s all about the lengths a mother will go to protect her family while doing what she thinks is right. Themes of unconditional love, sacrifice and coming of age are found throughout the book.
I also read Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. This book takes a scientific approach to productivity and time management. I am all about maximizing my time and being as efficient as possible. This book was more research based and didn’t have as many tips or advice about management, but I still found it interesting. I appreciated how the book focused on time management through history and ways we can be make the most of our time on Earth.
What I’m Watching: I haven’t been watching too much tv as I have been doing my best to be outdoors as much as possible. I have watched some good family movies, like Air and A Man Called Otto.
Family movie night!
I also finished the series, Ted Lasso which was really good. I think the series wrapped up very nicely and I like how everyone’s storylines had closure. It was such a fun show to binge and watch week to too.
I also watched The Night Agent on Netflix. This was only ten episodes, with which episode lasting about 45 minutes. It was a mix mystery, intrigue, action, drama, and thriller, those are all good things I’m looking for in a series. I would recommend it if you were looking for a new show to binge watch.
The new season of Outlander is back! I have been making my way through season seven every week when their episodes air.
Outlander is back!
And Just Like That Season 2. The girls are back with And Just Like That! I really enjoyed season one and have been enjoying what season has brought. It’s also been a fun show to watch weekly.
What Inspires Me: I’ve been so inspired by summer fun! From outdoor meals, walks, trying new recipes and celebrating milestones.
Walks by the water
I also have been getting my runs in weekly and have enjoyed feeling stronger with each run I go on.
My longest run!
Delicious summer meals!
Picnics by the shore
What I Accomplished: This past month has been all about welcoming summer and really trying to be present in the moment.
Summer grilling and salad
I’m always trying to find time to sneak in time outdoors, whether it’s visiting a bit longer outside after a meal, reading outdoors instead of inside or finding time to go for a quick walk.
Slow mornings reading outdoors.
Goals from Last Month: I kicked off my summer bucket and have been proud of the progress I’ve made so far which has been a win.
Enjoying all the fresh foods!
Goals for Next Month: Keep enjoying summer! I know it may not seem like much, but I really am trying hard to be present in the moment and soak up the sun, go swimming, grill, go on picnics, and make memories!
More grilling nights with lots of salads and fruits!
And more fresh salads (do you sense a trend here?)
The older I get the more I know how sacred family time is, so I’m doing my best to spend as much time with family as I can!
The beach all quiet in the morning.
I also have a concert planned and plans to visit friends! I’m looking forward to seeing those plans through. Plus, a lot of our local fairs and festivals gets underway in July so I’m looking forward to checking those out too!
Ending June with ice cream.
That’s a look into what’s Currently going on. A whole lot of summer lovin! How have you been spending your summer? Let me know in the comments below!
Happy Wednesday! I hope your week’s are going well as we settle into January. As we make our way through winter months and spend more times indoors, I’m always on the look for different activities that are fun and inexpensive.
This makes the cold, winter months a little more bearable. If you are looking for some fun, winter date ideas, look no further since I have you covered.
Here’s my Winter Bucket List for 2023
-Go Skiing
-Bookstore Date and Coffee Shop Date
-Go Ice Skating
-Read by the Fire
-Winter Walks
-Go to a Museum
-Go to the Movies
-Try a New Recipe
-Board Game Day
-Go Sledding
-Go to a Hockey Game
-Declutter my Spaces
-Enjoy Hot Cocoa
-Try a New Outdoor Activity
-Tackle a Project
-Bake Something New
-Entertain Friends
These are just some suggestions of things to do on those gray, gloomy days. I am always looking for things to do for fun that don’t break the bank and that don’t take up a ton of time. If you are in need of some winter fun, I hope these ideas help. What’s on your winter bucket list?
