Sunday Inspiration: Do Less

 

Thankful Thursday: July 27, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

Babysitting the grand kids

Time with my husband

Feeling like a kid

Burgers

Fireworks

Doing something that scares me

A new take on an old familiar

Ibuprofen

Sleeping in

Afternoon cold brew coffee sipped in the sunshine

Orange chicken

Crocheting in the sunshine

Sunday Inspiration: Everything and Nothing

 

Thankful Thursday: July 20, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

The power came back on sooner than expected

Vet chat

Lemonade

Cancelled plans

The dog's belly is all better

BLTs for dinner

Making birthday plans

Afternoon rain showers

Saturday with no place to go

Cooling down

Birthday celebration

Grilled cheese

Days that go by quickly

Cuddling up next to my husband on the couch

My daughter

31 years of motherhood

Sunday Inspiration: Not Simpler

 

Thankful Thursday: July 13, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

A short to do list 

Evening walks 

Falling asleep while reading

Planning for vacation

A simple procedure 

Long phone conversation with my sister 

When the dogs are acting silly 

Eggs 

Live music 

People watching 

Faith

Doggy "kisses"

Staying cool on a hot day 

Delicious pasta dishes

Time 

When sleep finally comes

Sunny days

Cute summer rompers

Simplify

My One Word for 2023 is Explore. In the spirit of exploration, I made the decision not to stop at one word this year - but to also have a word for each month.

During July, I am exploring the word Simplify.

Life is complicated. And we can make it even more complicated with our endless busyness.  All the endless activities, the mental and emotional stimulation, the multitasking, and the "stuff" that we cram into our to do lists, our days, our brains, and our home.

Simplify started stirring in my brain as I was listening to an episode of the Authentic Online Marketing Podcast with Ruthie Gray. She was talking about learning to say no and prioritise. Suddenly, it was as if something clicked in my brain and I thought to myself, "I try to do too much at once." 

My main focus for the month is to simplify my monthly and weekly goals as well as my to-do list. I'm simplifying my monthly goals by limiting the number of goals I set myself. Staying focused on a a few top priorities. I will be setting my weekly goals based on the smaller steps I need to taken in order to reach those monthly goals. 

My daily to-do lists will be created by breaking those weekly goals down to even smaller steps. And I'll be keeping them simple by trying not to add a dozen other items each day - just the absolute basics and priorities. Less multitasking. Fewer distractions.

I started simplifying my eating habits last month when my word was Healthy, and I'll be keeping that up for this month. Simple, unprocessed foods: lean protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. That doesn't mean boring - I'll be trying some new recipes and making some favorites we discovered last month. It just means keeping ingredients to their simplest form - unprocessed, less added sugars, etc. I have to admit - it's been a struggle for me.  But I am slowly making progress.

We'll be going to California for a week later this summer, and I would really like to simplify what and how I pack. I have been thinking about this since our trip to Ireland and the UK last fall, after dragging all my luggage around airports and train stations. It would be nice to stop over packing and simplify what I take on trips. My ideal situation would be carry on only. 

What other areas of life can benefit from being simplified?

Sunday Inspiration: Trivial Things

 

Thankful Thursday: July 6, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

Sunsets

Cold fizzy water

Breath

Catching raccoons on the security camera

My blue eyes

Rain to help clear some of the haze from the air

My handsome husband

Ferns hanging outside

Burgers cooked on the grill

Four day weekends

A quiet afternoon of crochet and reading

Grocery shopping with my husband

Red sky morning

Finished crocheting a top for myself

Trying new things

A cute and comfy jumpsuit

Lemon cake

Happy Independence Day!

 Wishing all of you a happy and safe 4th of July!

Hello, July

Here we go y'all! It's officially July. If there was ever a single month that called out for cook outs, days by the water, road trips, and vacations - it was this one. I hope you have at least something planned from that list. I certainly do!

This month is when America celebrates it's freedom from the British and our formation as an independent nation.  Even after almost 250 years, we still have some work to do - but I believe that with the right attitude, kind hearts and open minds we can continue to become a better country.

July is the month when my husband and I first became parents, oh-so-many years ago.  We will definitely pause to celebrate our daughter's birthday in the middle of this month. The years have certainly flown by! And my sweet youngest niece also has a birthday in July.

I didn't make a reading list for last month. Instead, I chose to read just whatever fit my mood and a couple of holds that came available at the library.  This month, I plan to read Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros,  Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score, and By A Thread also by Lucy Score. I'm also still slowly working my way through The Menopause Manifesto by Dr Jen Gunter.

I have been evaluating and rethinking how I set and manage my monthly goals.  I'm scaling back for July - breaking goals into smaller steps and focusing on only one or two steps per week.  I will see how this works for the month and decide what (if any) other changes I need to make.

My goals for July are:

• File 2nd quarter sales tax
• Go through stock of cotton bath puffs and make sure all are currently listed in Etsy shop
• Create a schedule and start prep to begin Frugal Friday posts in August
• Journal everyday

What are your plans for July?

Sunday Inspiration: Two Steps