Thankful Thursday: August 10, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

My dad's birthday

Unexpected delays

Clean laundry

Rain showers that cool things down

A cooler day

Donuts

When my dogs are feeling cuddly

A cup of tea on a rainy day

Late night texts

Lunch with my daughter and grandsons

Conversations with my son

Sunset

My husband getting home after numerous travel delays

Caffeine

Planning for football season

Grocery shopping with my husband

Making travel plans

A fresh new week

A clean kitchen

Afternoon thunderstorms

My sister coming to town

Perfectly seared tuna

New windows being installed

Renew

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 August, I am exploring the word Renew.

August has always felt like a time of new beginnings to me.  A good month for reflection, refreshing, and renewal.

As we prepare for a new season, we may look to refresh our wardrobe, personal appearance, or home decor.

Children begin preschool or kindergarten, and older ones head off to college leaving behind an empty nest and as parents, we find ourselves facing a new season of life.

It's a month that's perfect for setting new goals, or refreshing your commitment to ones you made earlier in the year.

As for me, this month I will be:

- Taking a hard look at my Etsy shop and reevaluating things. I think it's time for some changes to renew my passion for my work. It may be time for some changes and perhaps some rebranding.

-  Renewing my commitment to healthier habits. In the month of July, my attempts at healthier eating took a bit of a downward spiral. (I'm looking at you birthday cakes, airport food, Disney snacks, room service, and In and Out burger!) It's time to get back on track and stay the course.

- Refreshing and renewing my skincare routine. As my skin matures, and deal with the changes of menopause, I'm not feeling like what I have been doing is entirely working for me any longer. So, I'm trying something new. 

- Renewing the look of our home. Our house was built in the1970s, and it's fair to say that it is showing it's age. We're scheduled to have all new windows installed this week. Once that's completed, it will be time to put up new siding and gutters. Then, we're looking at building a new deck, probably this fall.

Is there an area of your life that could use some renewing in the month of August?

Sunday Inspiration: Every Day

 

Thankful Thursday: August 3, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

Disneyland

Disney snacks

Lounging by the pool

Souvenirs

My "kids"

Visiting Hollywood Blvd

The La Brea tar pits

Dinner at the end of the Santa Monica pier

Point Loma 

Seeing the seals and sea lions at La Jolla

Traveling up the coast

In and Out Burger

No travel delays

New windows delivered

Sleeping in my own bed

August 2023

 It's August, y'all - and you know what that means.  It's almost fall!  Sure, there's still over a month until the official start of my favorite season.  And if you live in the southern portion of the US, It's going to feel like summer for a while yet.  But, once August arrives, I find myself starting to long for cooler days, colorful leaves, and all things pumpkin. But first - we have August.

July was a challenging month for our family. Most of the things we faced aren't my stories to tell, so I'm not going to go into details. Fortunately the month ended on a high note. The Man of the House had a work conference in California,  so I tagged along and we took a few extra days to do some sight seeing.

This month we'll be celebrating my dad's birthday. Every birthday is special. But ever since his heart attack and surgery in 2019, each one we get celebrate with my father is even more precious to me.

I haven't set a reading list for August.  Instead, I'll do a little mood reading - just whichever books strike my fancy. I have a few books that my daughter loaned me, as well as more than a few that have been on my nightstand forever. The plan is to work through some of those this month.

There are some major changes coming to our home in August.  We're scheduled to have new windows installed throughout the entire house, followed by new siding and gutters. I am so excited. These renovations have been a long time coming and are really going to change the look of our home!  

Scaling back my goals and to-do lists worked out nicely for July. I'm going to continue working on and refining this new system. Keeping things simple certainly made it easier to accomplish the things on my list. It also helped when plans needed to be changed for various reasons.

My goals for August:

• Complete sweater I am making for myself
• Add 6 new items to Etsy shop
• Launder all window treatments
• Schedule vet appointment for dog

What are your plans for August?

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