Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Currently - July '16

It certainly feels like July around here, with plenty of hot, humid weather. I recommend grabbing a cold drink and taking a peek at what other's have been up to by visiting Anne and Jenna, the always gracious hosts of the Currently link up each month.

Enjoying America's pastime on America's 240th birthday! Go Nats!

toasting - Hamburger buns for tonight's dinner of leftover zucchini patties and sweet potato fries. Tomorrow we'll be toasting to Keizo's birthday and the end of his intensive summer writing class!

going - To Seattle in two weeks to celebrate a friend's wedding with a bunch of college friends. The last time I saw most of them was two years ago at another friend's wedding. We're sharing a house with the couple that got married two years ago and their adorable daughter who I am very excited to be meeting for the first time! Keizo will also be getting to meet many of my college friends for the first time too.

smelling - We've reached the height of summer, so things aren't always smelling so great but sunscreen always beats a sunburn, and I'd much rather be wearing sandals than socks!

wearing - Skirts and dresses to work, shorts and tank tops on the weekends. I have all but abandoned my pants as most are too fitted for this hot, sticky weather we've been having. I've been loving the couple of solid colored dresses I have, as they make getting ready really easy, yet can be reinterpreted multiple ways with different accessories. It's probably worth getting one more to mix in to the rotation.

wishlisting - The perfect new apartment! We're in need of a bit more space, and after two years in the same place, it's time for a change. We toured one we really liked, but sadly the landlord was looking to fill it right away and found another tenant. Hopefully we'll find something similar soon, as I really dislike having given notice but not having a new place lined up yet!

Saturday, July 2, 2016

6 things for 2016: 6 month report

And just like that, it's July and 2016 is halfway through! Time to check in on my goals for the year and make plans for the next six months.

More yoga - My approach to yoga has changed this year so instead of taking a one hour class once a week, I have been fitting in 15 to 20 minute sessions at home a few times a week. YouTube makes it really easy to select a routine based on style or length. I recommend videos from Sarah Beth Yoga (I've done her 7 day challenge a few times), Cole Chance at Yoga TX, and for a good laugh and lots of upper body conditioning between the down dogs, Tony Horton.

Exercise in the morning - Hitting the snooze button is a constant battle for me, so waking up with enough time to fit in a full workout before heading to work happens infrequently. Most days, I get in a mini workout of sorts; either yoga or some HIIT exercises, and then finish up after work with a run, long walk or more HIIT. I'm going to call this goal a work in progress.

Volunteer - I just finished up a week volunteering at a summer camp that teaches kids with different abilities how to ride bikes. All the campers start in the gym on specially designed bikes with rollers on the back that get them used to pedaling and slight variations in balance. As the week goes on, the rollers get thinner on the edges so the riders have to work more on balance until they are ready to ride on two wheels. The camper I was paired this week alternated between loving being on the bike to hating it as soon as he felt like he was going to fall. On Friday, he made one complete lap around the track without stopping. He was crying for part of it, but didn't stop pedaling which was really amazing to see! It might be hard to top bike camp, but I would really like to find a weekly or bi-weekly volunteer opportunity in the coming months.

Make time for hobbies - If going on walks and listening to podcasts counts as a hobby, I am doing pretty well with this one. That wasn't as much of a hobby of mine back in January when I wrote these goals, but the long summer evenings are too nice not to take advantage of! The original intent of this goal was to spend more time blogging, baking and crafting, three things I enjoy doing but often get lost in the shuffle. Like the exercising in the morning goal, this one is still very much a work in progress but I am on pace to blog more than last year, I created and hung up some art in the apartment and have knit a few baby items to give as gifts.

Travel every month - I haven't traveled for pleasure every month, but between work and play I am pretty close to hitting this goal for the first half of the year. The first real trip of the year was to New Orleans, followed by a weekend in Charlottesville, a week in Atlanta for work, camping in Tennessee and another quick work trip to central Ohio. I'm looking forward to traveling for fun this month with a weekend trip to Annapolis to celebrate Keizo's birthday and the end of his summer class, followed by a trip to Seattle for a dear friend's wedding later in the month. This is definitely a goal where it's better to plan in advance; picking dates and making reservations ahead of time to get it on the calendar, and then filling in the details as the trips get closer. 

Date my husband - Memorable dates this year have included a midnight walk through a blizzard followed by sledding amidst a bunch of kids on a slick hill the next day; eating sushi burritos and visiting the Wonder exhibition at the Renwick Gallery; several weekend bike rides; ice cream and board games at Moorenko's; and most recently dinner at Daikaya followed by an outdoor movie in Farragut Square on a lovely summer evening.

I don't know if I was fully conscious of it before, but all my goals for this year are really focused on moving beyond the day to day and enjoying life. It bothers me that I have to be so intentional about having fun sometimes, but I suppose like anything, you get better at it as you go!