Tidy Tuesday no. 2

Clothes Edition

I have a lot of work to do in this area but we are started with a giant sort/purge. Since we moved a lot of my clothes have been stuck in bins in various closets in the house. I've collected them all in the bedroom and have been diving through, one at a time. I've got the following piles going (see photo below) and it's feeling awesome! I have a laundry basket for the donation/sell items and when it's full I do a load of laundry. This keeps it easy so I know that they do not go back in the drawers or on a hanger.

My biggest tidy tip for clothes is Project 333 - a fall uniform that makes getting dressed easier each morning and also washing and managing clothes easier. It means that things I'm not wearing are AWAY and out of the flow of things. this worked so well for me when I returned to work after having a baby. I thought I'd only last a few weeks with my capsule wardrobe but ended up doing the full 3 months and then a little more. It's been fun to weed through the boxes and it feels very easy to part with certain clothes because i really haven't worn them in a year and a half or longer.

Here are some other clothing tips to keep things tidy. Have you tried any? Got any additional tips?

• apartment therapy has some good links
• i love how shutterbean.com uses labels!
• this gal has great ideas like only buy one type of sock and then you never have to match socks again!

Happy sorting!

Tuesday Tidy

I have really missed blogging and when I take such long breaks it can be hard to know where to start. So I decided on a simple new series: Tuesday Tidy.

I'm slowly unburying myself from my email inboxes. Between multiple email accounts I had over 300 "unread" emails. I put that in quotes because some of them I marked as unread so I'd remember to deal with them later. But the truth is, I just don't have the bandwidth to deal with these emails...

So this morning I set a 10 minute timer. I figure I can commit 10 minutes and then move along if needed. So for 10 minutes I moved emails to the correct inbox folders, deleted those I didn't need, and unsubscribed from unnecessary emails (I always end up back on these lists!). When the timer went off I'd dealt with 27 emails!

After a 5 minute break I was motivated to try again. With the first inbox at zero, I decided to tackle the monster account with 257 unread emails (insert embarrassed face...). After another 10 minute session and I'm down to 181!

Here are my quick tips so I don't dwell on tricky emails and get lost in the process:

• Sort by subscriptions or companies first so you can deal with them at once. Start with an easy one that you know you can delete without much emotional attachment.
• When in doubt, unsubscribe. Clearly I haven't been using the coupons and when I need a coupon, I will know where to look
• Make a list: recipe emails are so inspiring but they clog up my inbox, so I open the link to the recipe and save it in a document called "Recipes to Make," that way I can search later and delete the email now.
• Create folders for certain categories. I have purchased many knitting patterns over the years and they often come in emails so I have a folder where I move these emails so they are filed away. Makes it easy to access later and doesn't clog up the "IN" box.

Looking forward to more tidying and less emails this week! Have other tips and tricks for organizing email? I'd love to know!

Fiber Friday

So happy to be blogging again!

I haven't done much with fiber lately but I have some yarn projects queued up for 2017.

The Lex Shawl from a Quince & Co

I purchased a booklet of shawls last year and it included this lovely pattern. I received some beautiful blue yarn for Christmas that I hope will become this shawl!

Blanche from YOTH yarns

I started this sweater in Brooklyn Tweed yarn, colorway fern. I think it will be a nice addition to my post pregnancy wardrobe and it is fairly straightforward. I haven't done much seaming so it will be a good challenge.

Lucy Hats from Quince & Co

I have the exact yarn shown in this photo so I think I will make this hat. I love having a slouchy hat to cover up bed head in the winter. Plus, it should go faster than the other projects, right?

Project Peace Cowl

So I didn't finish this in December, but I'm enjoying the project so I hope to finally nish it up this year. I am using some YOTH yarn from a previously frogged project and would love to actually wear this yarn, since I purchased it 4 years ago.

I have a few other WIPs:

1. Onward Shawl
2. Ribbed Blanket
3. Featherweight Cardigan (which I may have to frog)

Here's to hoping 2017 has a few more finished projects so I can enjoy the wearing of these beautiful yarns!

Fiber Friday

This week I finished my Terra Shawl and I love it so much!

I had bought this yarn for a different shawl and got about 1/3 of the way through when I realized that that yarn was too dark to showcase the texture. So I ripped it out and found the Terra Shawl. I only worked on it during movie night for the most part, but once I hit the lace section, I couldn't put it down.

I'm currently working on fixing up my Featherweight Cardigan. I started this around Christmas and plowed through but when I got to the sleeves, I must've grabbed a different brand of needle and there is a noticeable line where I switched needles. The sleeves were really bugging me so I decided to rip back. I was able to just rip back the sleeve section and get the stitches back onto the correct needles. Phew! I was fully prepared to tear the whole thing out and start new, but I'm very grateful it didn't come to that!

I also decided to take stock of my WIPs and drew up a chart in my bullet journal. It was so satisfying to finished the Terra shawl and mark it off as complete! I also cast on the Onward shawl which was the original plan for the Tosh yarn above. This time i used some Berocco Ultra Alpac I received from someone. The color is REALLY hard to capture on the camera, but it is a dusty green color and since it is a light color and fairly solid, the pattern seems to be showing up wonderfully! I've been whizzing through this pattern since it's a new cast on and the repeats are easy enough to memorize.

The color here is fairly similar to actual color.

Do you keep track of WIPs? One year I did a stellar job of logging via ravelry.com but find that it's easier to grab my journal than log onto my computer. Happy Fiber Friday!

Bullet Journal - tracking

This week I'm trying something new. I love the look of habit trackers I've seen online, however I've never been able to follow through. I think I've uncovered two main reasons I struggled:

1. Most that I've tried are for a month at a time. I live more day to day, or week to week.

2. Their habits are often pre-established and I realize that I am in data collecting mode to help me determine what my goals need to be.

Using these insights, I decided to take one area that I want to figure out: water intake. I made a chart for just this week (Monday-Saturday) and a box for each glass of water I hope to drink each day. There is also room on the end of each row to make a note, should I somehow go beyond the 8 boxes.

Below the chart (not pictured above) I journaled. I wrote what I already know to be true (a glass in the AM and a glass in the PM just to get my vitamins down). I also know that during school I'm a bit more regular about water so summer always takes a bit of routine adjustment. I set what I think is a reasonable goal and then added how I'm hoping to figure out what my "normal" is and look for patterns or places to make adjustments. 

I plan to recap next week what I discovered and see if this helps me on my way to developing good habits while documenting my efforts and feeling accomplished, even if some boxes are left empty.

Do you track goals? What's your method?

Currently April 2016

 

One Little Word 2015 Update

10 weeks left in the year. I can hardly believe it!

Frankly, I'm impressed that I've stuck with my scripture sunday goal this long and am getting giddy just thinking about how close to the end I am! 

Thoughts 42 weeks in:

• I love this project
• I don't know if I'll do it next year, maybe similar but with a twist
• I appreciate how my word is made new each week - I'm the type of person that loves change and thrives on the chance to "mix it up" and look at something from a new angle
• I can't wait to order my book!

Progress Report
I was working to update my Artifact Uprising file so that I would've get too far behind. In doing so I realized that I'd missed a few and started digging through my archives. Enter chaos. It was a mess so i decided to start back at the beginning and check over everything.

I made a spreadsheet and entered all the Sundays for 2015. Next I went through my blog/instagram and noted all of the hashtags and verses. I was surprised to realize that only a few verses have been repeated! It was also really fun to look back over the verses and reread some of them.

Once I had this list up to date I was able to figure out which photos were missing in my book. If I hadn't started the book so long ago, I probably wouldn't be doing it. The idea of trying to find all of those photos would be overwhelming, however since I started early in the process, it's been really fun!

All in all I still love my word (for it's versatility) and though I've been a little hit or miss lately, I am still enjoying the projects I'm using to reflect on my word. I have also been revisiting my pinterest board and adding a few inspiring images, hoping to finish the year strong. 

fall list

I love fall. I'm one of those people that craves the crisp morning air and the slightly cooler temps. This fall I have just a few simple things i'd love to do...

1. drink cider - hot and spiced
2. go to a farm for fall festivities
3. go for lots of walks in the neighborhood
4. make #allthesoup
5. wear boots and tights
6. hand quilt on my tree quilt so it's ready for december
7. host an autumnal gathering. i'm thinking there ought to be pie
8. knit some mittens or fingerless gloves
9. play guitar more, just for fun
10. make new pillow cases for the living room

what is something you love to do when falls comes around?
or are you a fan of another season?

april goal - update

Wow! I'm not really sure where April went. It was a doozy and in some ways flew by. Here is a look at my goals for the month:

Run 50 miles
This seemed to be going so well, especially when I clocked a 6 mi. PR and then a 10 mile run. Then suddenly it was the 22nd and I was still 19 miles away! I had to really work to get the last few in but I'm even more proud of myself as a result. Mom and I ran a fast 5K on her birthday followed the next day by a 6 mile run. On Tuesday the 28th I realized how little time was left (due to many after work commitments) so I got up at 5:30am and hit the pavement for an early run. This was so awesome because it made me realize that I can go for a run in the morning and be ready for school with just a little extra patience. Double bonus: I got mad props for my hair that day! All in all it was harder than I expected but totally work the challenge.

Donate a Bag a Week
So we kicked off this goal during spring break with NINE BAGS. Felt like cheating a little but it was a great way to start. I technically took this last week off only because I didn't pass the donation center. There are two bags in my car and tomorrow is looking like the day I say goodbye. This challenge was great since I had spring break to dive into organizing. It also inspired us to go through some boxes from moving (2 or 6 years ago?) and we started to realize that consolidating was definitely an option. Many boxes had been mostly emptied and just had a few remaining items. I also was inspired to try a capsule wardrobe and packed away some wintery clothes in hopes for an easier time getting dressed in the morning. So far our quest for a tidy house is going wonderfully and we feel like we have more space to live in. Success!

Send 2 Cards a Week
Okay, maybe I set myself up for an easy month, but I blew this one out of the park as well. I think I averaged more like 3 or 4 a week. This is definitely a trend I want to continue. I still have quite a collection from my HappyMail deliveries and also have been using up some simple "thank you" cards I got from target. Love sending notes in the mail. Sometimes I feel like I can say things better in a few short words.

What's in store for May? Not sure yet. I want to keep it simple like April and will probably continue with a running goal since it's getting to be the time of year where being outside feels so good! I'll probably need to set a food goal since we sort of lacked in that area the last week of April (how many days in a row CAN you eat breakfast for dinner?). April - you were hard but you were successful. Onward!

care for a refreshment?

I've been working hard since february to drink more water. It's hard for me when I'm at work because I'm moving around all the time and inevitably I lose my water bottle or leave it in a strange place. I've been slowly collecting glass bottles which originally had kombucha in them - I think I'm up to 10 now. They are great because they each hold 16 ounces, are leak proof, and can go though the dishwasher.

My usual routine is to take them straight from the dishwasher, fill them with filtered water and a teaspoon or two of apple cider vinegar, then load them straight into the fridge. So many perks to this method. Number one: I didn't have to find cabinet space to hold them! Number two: it is easy to grab one at any point during the day or in the morning when I'm packing my lunch. Number three: I don't feel so bad if I misplace it since it wasn't pricey and also because it has a cap and won't spill before I DO stumble upon it under the passenger seat of my car (for example).  I usually grab two for my workday aiming to drink one before and one after lunch. Then I grab one in the evening and sometimes even a fourth on my way to bed.

This week I was feeling a bit fancy and decided to spruce up my beverage by adding frozen cranberries. I put them in and then used a fork to pop a few open so that the juices with flavor the water a bit. Such a simple way to fancy up my beverage and to entice me to drink more water.

Here are a few of my favorite infusions:

• cucumber slices and lemon
• frozen blueberries and cucumber
• pineapple, lime and cucumber
• basil and cucumber
• pretty much anything with a slice of cucumber :)

What's your trick for drinking more water? Here are some recipes for different water infusions and blend that seem yummy and fun!

cucumber basil puree / lemonade raspberry puree / varied recipes / this one look yum

fitness friday

This month one of my goals is to log more miles.

To get started with that goal I got a brand new pair of running shoes. Nothing like a fun pop of color to inspire me to hit the pavement!

At the beginning of the year I decided to revisit a tracking method I used a few years ago. Inspired by a goal tracker I saw online, I created this calendar for the year. I used a font that has numbers inside of circles with the intention of coloring in the circles for the days I work out. One reason why I love this method is because it gets back to the main reasons for working out: healthy living and feeling good.  Sure, I love going 7 miles or beating my PR, but I also love canoeing, snowboarding, hiking and yoga. There was a stretch of time where I was so focused on my milage as a runner that I lost sight of the enjoyment.  I love this tracking system because it helps me see patterns - Tuesday and Thursdays are long - and focus on variety (yoga, weights, running) and enjoyment. Did I miss an entire week? Maybe I traded my running shoes for a yoga mat for the winter.  Do I have a streak going? Is there a day a way to get more movement into my week?

For my milage goal this tool isn't quite as useful. I often use my RunKeeper app but lately have been ditching the phone and using the timer on my UpMove band. Typically I run in the same places and now my distance, but this doesn't keep specific track of miles nor is it always accurate. So I began the hunt for something simple but fancier than a post-it. Why? The visual and creative side of me likes to be able to my goals, the growth and progress. I read on this blog that she uses a $1 daily planner to write her milage. It reminded me of watching my dad log his miles in a runners world planner. Now he uses an excel document which is great because it keeps his yearly tally up to date.

So I went to this site, where I get a monthly desktop image for my computer. She also has phone versions and printable versions of her monthly calendars. I printed off the april calendar page and away I go!

I'm a little behind if I'm hoping to hit 50 miles but I'm not yet worried. A 5k on the calendar and a possible upcoming 8k and I should be good to go!

How do you track your goals? Do you have a favorite app or system?

april goals

Alright April, here I come!
I'm just setting three goals this month. They feel lofty so it seems appropriate.

Cleaning/Organizing
We've talked for awhile now about how best to purge and organize our house. Yup, 2 years into living here and we're finally getting around the a big overhaul! In December we did a Music Studio Overhaul and it has been an amazing space for Seth's studio and practice. We also started hanging art on the walls so it is beginning to feel more like a home. That being said, we are both overwhelmed by the amount of stuff that still exists in our small house and are motivated to do something about it. We're looking at a few different methods for how to best tackle this major project and since I can't set goals for other people on my blog I've narrowed it down to this. Once a week take a load of things to the donation center. Whether it's clothing, books, kitchen supplies etc doesn't matter. My main goal is to get things out of the house then out of my car and to a place where they can be more useful. Sundays are my goal day for this to happen because I can put it in the car before church and swing by the donation center on my way home.

Run More Miles!

print by Elise Blaha Cripe

My participation in the Big Climb last month meant I was hyper focused on circuit training and strengthening my legs and abs. Not a bad thing but it meant my milage shrank. I did run a 5K in March and was pleasantly surprised by my time. After running 7 miles with my mom last week I realized how much I miss hitting the pavement. So with my new kicks and Spring Break to get started, I'm ready to rack up the miles! I'm think about the 50 mile goal that mom and I used to aim for when we were first starting out. It feels manageable without being too lofty. I already logged 2 today, so I have 26 days to get 48 more miles!

Send 2 Cards a Week
I already started this goal on April 1 and just love the feeling of sealing up an envelope and putting on a stamp! I'm pretty set with cards between a resent "thank you" card restock and my HappyMail deliveries. I'm hoping to spread the love a little outside of my normal circle but it's hard since address sharing is kind of retro. I feel like I'm spoiling the surprise when I ask people for their address, but really, who doesn't love a fun card in the mail :)

I am excited to see how these goals pan out. Spring Break always gives me a boost so here's to hoping it will inspire me to finish strong! Happy April!

//get to work print found here//

march goals (in review)

Somehow it's April and while I'm thrilled, I'm a bit surprised and uncertain about where March went! So let's see how I did on my goals...

Meal Plan - check (sort of)
This was hit and miss throughout the month. My husband got a cold and illness is always a game changer when it comes to eating. At the beginning of the month I stuck with my new cookbook and found great success. In the middle of the month it was a mixture of standby faves and comfort food for the weary. The last week of the month I decided to let the produce section inspire me. This was a really great choice! I chose a variety of veggies and picked up some chicken and salmon. When I got home I prepped the veggies for either sautéing or snacking. After packaging them into serving containers, I stored them in two bins in the fridge for easy access. I also chopped the chicken and cooked it all the same day using half for a curry dish and the other half for salads during the week. Lunches were mainly veggies, fruit and hummus, and dinners were chicken or salmon based with a side of more veggies. So easy and so fresh and delicious.

Finish Two Books - check!
I started to fiercely on this goal and then suddenly it was March 30 and I had 15 chapters left. With a little motivation from my third graders I powered through just before midnight. Phew! I finished Still Alice and Delancey, both of which I recommend. Delaney is a memoir that inspired you to pay attention to the ingredients you put into your cooking but also made me want to take on a new challenge and chase a passion or dream. I also want to go visit the restaurant now, even if I can't eat the pizza. During the month I also started two new books, however neither are quite inspiring so my spring break goal is to find a new book or two that I can dive into.





Sew Once a Week - check!
This did happen, I just forgot to blog about it! I made the bloomers and pieced the backing of my tree quilt. The next weekend I went on a quilt store tour with a friend and we picked out fabric for a baby quilt for her little boy and I got some warm tones to make a new quilt for the living room. Each week I made time to cut triangles or stitch a few together. It was slow going, however I'm looking forward to diving into the baby quilt over spring break. Nothing like a deadline and a few days off to motivate!



Blog Three Times a Week - umm...
Well... let's see the breakdown:

• Week 1 - 3
• Week 2 - 4
• Week 3 - 2
• Week 4 - 2

That almost averages to 3 times a week, and if we're focusing on the writing part, I did draft two more posts, just never got around to finishing/editing. March felt so fast and busy that I'm actually surprised I even blogged that many times! Of course "scripture sunday" helps a lot :)

I'm currently look at the calendar for April and working on some goals. This has been a fun way to push myself creatively, especially in the fiber and book arenas.

happy mail

Ever had one of those late-night conversations with a friend where it's way too late, you've been talking for too long and suddenly you're asking pretty random questions of each other? I had a friend in college who asked one evening, "If you could do any job in the whole world and not worry about making money or of the practice stuff, what would you do?"

That is a huge question and yet it only took me a few seconds to come up with my response.

"I'd make cards for people."

When he asked me to explain I began to share how much I love making cards. I didn't want to have a card shop or manufacture a line of cards, I just wanted to make them for people. I love picking out the papers, paints, or whatever supplies seem right for the moment. Sometimes I'm thinking of a specific person and what they might enjoy, other times I'm letting the supplies lead me down a creative path. Then I get to select a purpose (Thank You cards, birthday cards, Christmas cards or just a card to say "Hello!") and a recipient. More fun!

No doubt this love of cards and handwritten letters comes from my mom who has a similar excitement over letter writing and mail. She and I wrote so many letters back and forth my freshman year of college (all of which are currently stored in a hat box in my closet). To me, cards are little envelopes of joy and there is always a reason to send joy to people!

For years I made cards and didn't even consider an alternative. Over the years my hobbies have shifted and my time has been distributed differently. I recently started purchasing cards and building up a little stash to send to friends and family. Then I read about Happy Mail from the blog and business A Beautiful Mess. I was so excited by the idea yet hesitant to try. Would I really send all the cards? Would I like them? It's a surprise package each month so there is no control over the content you receive.

So for my birthday I decided to give it a go. I went ahead and made a goal to work with what was sent and to decide if I would continue the subscription. As of today, I'm totally hooked! A week ago I got 8 cards in the mail and I have already used 5. I have watched and re-watched the video announcing the March box! Though I'm not the one making the cards it's still totally fun because I get the privilege of sending little envelopes of joy to friends and family. And it comes in this totally cute packaging. Pure joy! Happy mail all around!

Do you send cards? Do you check your mailbox???

fiber friday

Last weekend I was all about the fabric. I went to the quilt shop with my friend and we took our time touching everything trying to choose the right fabrics for a quilt for her baby boy. I'm making a version of the quilt for another friend as well so we had two piles growing and changing over the course of an hour or so.

When I got home i couldn't wait to start cutting and stitching, however I'm still in need of some more fabric so I washed and ironed and set it aside to work on two other projects. 

These baby bloomers are for a different friend's baby. They are having girl this time around and I'm elated! I used a pattern I got from crafts and though i hit a few frustrating points with teeny tiny pieces, I'd make them again. The first time with a pattern can be a great learning experience :)

The next project I tackled was the backing for my tree quilt. I pulled the left over fabrics from the front to help create a vibrant strip of color and make the piecing look more intentional. I love how the colors pop and the lightness of the main backing color totally contrasts the dark grey front. It's stacked and basted and ready for quilting!

Next up:

1. Decide on how to quilt the tree

2. Aquire some fabric for the baby quilt

3. Start cutting triangles!

meal planning

This week was a success! I used my new cookbook to make 5 recipes,
Here is what the week looked like:

Sunday evening I spent cooking for the week these three entrees: Pecan and Basil Crusted Chicken, Grilled Chicken Antipasto, and Thai Meatballs. The last step of the Thai Meatballs is to slow cook them in a sauce. Instead, we browned them, then placed them in the freezer until Thursday. Here is how it all worked out.

Sunday
Breakfast - Lemon Scones (I had everything on hand!)

Monday
Lunch - Grilled Chicken Antipasto
Dinner - Pecan Crusted Chicken

Tuesday
Lunch - Grilled Chicken Antipasto
Dinner - Breakfast for dinner (We always have omelet fix-in's)

Wednesday
Lunch - Grilled Chicken Antipasto for the hubby and Pecan Crusted Chicken for me
Dinner - we'd planned the meatballs for this night but had a surprise evening free and went out

Thursday
Lunch - Soup Group at school
Dinner - Thai Meatballs

Friday
Lunch - Pecan Crusted Chicken
Dinner - Thai Meatballs

Saturday
Breakfast - Chocolate Pancakes
Dinner - Thai Meatballs

If we'd not gone out Wednesday evening, the Thai meatballs would still have lasted through Saturday so this was a success! This week we're trying a few new recipes and adding in some of our go-to recipes as well. While it's fun to dive into a new cookbook and have such tasty results, it was exhausting cooking 3 meals at once over a two hour span of time. I'm going to try and spread out the cooking over the course of Sunday this week.

march goals

February was a successful month for choosing small, manageable goals. The goals were meant to keep my creative side active.

This month I am aiming a bit higher by setting similar goals that stretch me a bit more.

Finish Two books
I'm currently listening to Still Alice and finding it a nice book to listen to while baking, cleaning and creating. The character development drives the plot and these activities allow me enough uninterrupted time to really get into the story. I find that since I am rarely in my car for longer than 10 minutes or so, I have to make space in my schedule for podcasts and audio books that require longer stretches of time to fully enjoy the story.

On the other side, I'm ticking away at Delancey one chapter at a time. They are quick and short but deep and lyrical chapters. This means I can read one chapter before bed or one when I wake up and I don't need a long stretch of solitude to be able to enjoy the writing. I still have a number of books on my stack so perhaps I'll even get to dive into something new this month!

Sew Once a Week
I have many friends with babies on the way and a few quilts I mentioned in last week's fiber friday post. Now armed with a gift certificate to my local quilt shop, I've no excuse! I've decided to make time once a week to get back into fabric. I'm not going to box myself in with a particular project but will instead see where it is these stitch sessions take me. Look for update on fiber fridays!

Meal Plan
I was so into meal planning in the fall but fell off the wagon hard around December. It's time to officially get back into things and I'm hoping my new cookbook will be the main source of inspiration! I received "Make Ahead Paleo" for my birthday and have already made one recipe. Though we do not eat exclusively paleo, I do eat gluten- and dairy-free and all of the recipes meet this requirement. The big-batch style cooking has worked so well for us in the past that this should fit into our weekly routine well but liven up the type of foods we are eating. Thai Coconut Meatballs are on my list for this week!

Blog Three Times a Week
I was all set to do a fitness goal and then I realized that with leading FitClub at school twice a week and having two races this month, I think I have the motivation I need in that department. Instead, I want to continue to be here on the blog. I've been listening to some past episodes of a podcast where bloggers get together and chat about writing and inspiration. This has helped me see how many different approaches there are to writing and posting on a blog. I am working be OK with seasons where I write less but also realizing how much renewal I get from sitting down and planning out blog posts. The process itself helps me to make time for the crafts, hobbies, and activities I enjoy. It helps me tune out the work to-dos and the household chores that are calling my name and focus on how I will BEcreative and really, be myself. I hoping that an extra post a week doesn't because another thing on my to-do list, but something that inspires me to keep at the things that bring me joy.

february goals

This month I set four small goals on the sidebar of the blog. I was tempted to set more, but I knew I needed to start with something reasonable and attainable. Now that were in the last few days of February, here's an update on my progress:

Blog Twice A Week
Thanks to Scripture Sundays, this has totally worked out. I'm hoping to continue this pattern with an extra post here and there. I didn't realize how much I missed blogging until I got back into it!

Finish One Knitting Project
I finished my cowl! As long as finished means I did the bind off... I still need to block it and weave in the ends, but I'm planning to do that on Friday. The goal was to get something off the needles so I could focus on my other 4 projects. Mission Accomplished!

Drink More Water
Not sure I set a real tangible to way for myself to track this goal but I do have a better system for making sure I'm equipped to drink water. I have a variety of glass water bottles that go straight from the dishwasher into the fridge with filtered water and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Anytime I need water at home or to go, I reach for these. They are chilled and refreshing. Once I'm done, back into the dishwasher they go. A pretty good system, though I'm sure I could still use a bit more H2O to fuel me throughout the day.

Make Time for Pleasure Reading
I have discovered so many books I want to read! While that isn't really what the goal was about, I have carved out some time for reading. Here's what's currently on my nightstand:

The Bible - Matthew
I'm reading through the Gospel with Margaret Feinberg's #lentenchallenge I'm using the packet she put together which uses a variety of translations. It is really interesting to read straight through the different chapters and see all the miracles and interactions of Jesus. Next week we'll move into Mark and then work our way through Luke and John. It is a nice way to slow down and recenter each day.

Delancey - Molly Wizenberg
I tried to listen to this as an audiobook first. #fail The reader did not make me excited. By chance I had also put the hardback edition on hold at the library. When it arrived I decided to give it another go. I love reading Molly's blog and am so happy that I gave it another chance. It is fun to read about the ups and downs of their journey toward opening a pizzeria. I have even read a bit aloud to my husband. the way she writes is lyrical and makes me want to set the book down and head straight for the kitchen!





Here what I want to put on my nightstand next:

Make It Happen - Lara Casey
I've seen this one around the internet and on a few blogs lately. I love the concept of purposeful living and finding a way to view life as more than checking things off a list. I'm interested to see what she says about her path to enjoy the journey of life.

Fringe Hours - Jessica Turner
This book seems like the next step in my quest for time management. Not the kind of time management that makes me efficient at work (I've got that pretty well covered right now) but how to make time for the things that I love and am inspired by. I one time overheard a piano student tell his teacher, "I didn't have time to practice this week," and the teacher very sincerely and gently said, "We all have the same time each and every day. Only you get to choose how you spend it." I'm not sure how much the student took this to heart, but I certainly did! I have been working lately to find a balance between efficiency and enjoyment and this books seems interesting to me as I explore the way I spend my minutes each day.

a list for july

Taking a cue from Juliann's blog.

finish a shawl (or 2?)
run, run, then run some more
try some new recipes
finish a book
make music
do something with my photos from Hawai'i
finding ways to choose gratitude

july 30

old coat pocket

held a fun surprise!