June Goals 2018

Health...

    -- Average at least 10,000 steps per day (minimum 70,000 steps per week) 

    -- Walk Wrigley EVERY morning (even weekends and Bob's days off).  Was successful in doing this the last week in May... let's see if I can continue through June, shall we?  Getting up earlier actually does help... I had been getting up and walking him around 6:45 / 7:00, but honestly at this point in the summer the sun is already hot by then, and there are people already out walking.  Getting up and going an hour earlier is definitely the way to go... much cooler and hardly anyone else around, walking or in cars.

    -- Incorporate some kind of muscle-building into the exercise routine now that the walking / sometimes jogging routine has been established.  Sit-ups, push-ups, use the kettlebells... SOMETHING.

   -- Lose 5 more pounds by the end of June.  See above.

Home...

    -- Purge closet and drawers, especially socks and underwear in drawers, and clothes I'm just not wearing (haven't worn or won't wear) in the closet.

   -- Hang the pictures sitting in the bedroom. 

   -- Start figuring out better storage for the pantry... it might be a July goal, but I want to start figuring out lazy susan's for the awkward corners and bins for some things that would be better kept together.

Try...

   -- more recipes from the Laura Lea cookbook (or her website).  The chocolate avocado mousse sounds amazing, and I know there are more things in the cookbook I want to try

   -- a new bread or pastry recipe... on the third season of the Great British Baking show and now I want to bake all the things.  All. The. Things.

Buy...

   -- On my wishlist to buy this month...
               Make-up removal cloths
            Emani primer
            Fenty matchstix contour in Amber

   -- very little else other than essentials.  Maybe a few more of these 3/4 length shirts from LL Bean and these capri pants from Amazon.  Steph recommended them and they're so comfy and the pockets are a bonus.

   -- plants for the empty planter on the back porch.  Everything else is planted and looking good except for that.  I'm thinking more of these million bells that are doing so well in the hanging baskets out front and have been super easy to care for and keep looking good.

Do...

    -- finish the Stars and Stripes quilt -- goal was for a quick finish that I could get done by July 4th.  Flags are about halfway put together, and sashing, backing and binding fabric has been ordered. Definitely do-able. 

   -- finish Bob's Star Wars quilt.  Just need to sort out the backing and if I have enough, piece it together, then it just needs quilting and binding!

   -- keep up with all the yard work and watering.  Everything is looking so good right now and the bare spot in the front yard has completely filled over.  Now just to keep everything alive and looking good through the summer!

More...

   -- reading - now that I joined the Durham County library (whose e-book selection is surprisingly better than Wake County's), I have at least 3 library books on the kindle and more on hold.  I also went back and cataloged all my books on Goodreads for 2018, and set a very achievable goal of 30 books to read for the year.  I'm happy I met and exceeded the 50-book goal last year, but it got to the point where I felt like I HAD to read instead of reading for enjoyment.  Hence the lowered goal this year.  Also need to get back to linking up my books with Stephanie and Jana for Show Us Your Books!

      Currently reading: The Murder House by James Patterson & David Ellis.
      Up Next: A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena & Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh

   -- evening walking.  A couple weeks ago I was doing really well walking Wrigley both morning and evening, but last week I just got tired and mainly only walked him in the morning.  Especially since the weather is pretty mild this week, I need to get back in the routine of doing both.

   -- blogging - mainly as a tool to hold myself accountable and journal.

Less...

   -- time mindlessly scrolling Instagram.  It's really the only social media I partake in, but it can be a huge time suck.  Time to cut back.  Last night I left my phone upstairs in the closet while I was changing clothes after work, and when I realized that's where it was I decided to just leave it up there.  It wasn't until after 9:00 when I was getting ready for bed that I picked it up again, and I can't say I missed having it during those few hours.  If I'd had it, I would have been on it mindlessly, but having it so far away was extremely freeing.


   -- Starbucks.  I'd gotten out of the habit for most of May, but somehow the last week have gotten sucked back in.  I think maybe I need to delete the app on my phone, as it makes it way to order through the app and reload from my card without feeling the pain of spending the money.  I did it way less when I had cash in my wallet and was using that.  The allure of using the app though is to build up points to a free drink, which I don't get when I use cash.  I see you Starbucks marketing gurus, I see you.

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One year of Wrigley!

It's been almost a year since this little bundle of love found us (yes, I firmly believe HE found US).  It will be one year tomorrow since our little fighter, our little survivor fought to stay alive when the rest of his litter didn't make it.  March 20th he came into this world, and then on May 4th he came to us.

We would have no idea at the time how much he would mean to us.  How much we would all need each other in the year ahead.  In some ways it's been a whirlwind year and feels like he just got here, in other ways it's hard to remember life before him.  It sounds cliche to say that he's taught me so much about myself, but cliches are usually true for a reason.  Through the tears, the laughter, the frustration, the joy, the guilt, the regret, the hope, the sorrow, and the unconditional love of the past year... there were and are lessons to be learned. 

Nothing juxtaposes the agonizing pain of losing one beloved fur-baby like the unabated joy of a puppy.  He lives in the moment.  He starts each day ready to go and eager to explore the world.  He loves stopping to smell the roses (and everything else) on our walks.  He doesn't hold a grudge.  He would rather nap in front of the fire than anywhere else.  He loves peanut butter and plays with carrots.  He likes to play with two toys at once.  Sometimes he thinks the rug is one of those toys.  He sighs really deep and heavy when he's tired.  He drops his butt when he runs and is really excited.  He stamps his front feet when he's sitting and impatient.  He got the hiccups four or five times a day as a puppy.  He actually watches what's on T.V.  He won't let us cut his nails.  The position of his ears constantly changes throughout the day.  He loves to eat crabgrass in the yard.  He loves to pick at seams and threads on toys (or anything else if given the chance).  His ears are the softest things on earth but he doesn't really like them touched.  He has light-colored angel wings on his back.  His sense of smell is amazing.  After we go outside he runs back into the room he just left to see if anything has changed.  He's tall enough to put his feet on the counter and the table.  He loves the smell of butter.  He fast-trots in the house when he has to go out.  He squeaks when he yawns.  He's the best car-rider, he lays down and doesn't fuss.  He's been in the car through North Carolina, Virginia, D.C., Maryland and Delaware.  He Christmased in Delaware for the first time in 2017.  He likes to chase the cats.  He doesn't back down from a fight with Pippin.  He likes to share the heated binky with Mao.  He's super motivated by treats and is terrified of squirt bottles.  He doesn't mind his harness but hates collars.  His fur has seams and swirls where his hair comes together in weird places.  He has resource guarding issues that we don't understand but are working on.  He knows "come", "sit", "down", "fist bump", "off", drop it", and struggles with "stay".  He loves puppacinos.  He's really good about being in his crate.  He was named "Camden" before we even knew him, but we'd already decided to name our next dog "Wrigley"; he was destined to be named after a baseball stadium. He tries really hard to get his stuck toys out on his own before looking to us for help.  He doesn't like the rain.  He absolutely loves the snow... running in it, biting at it, playing in it.  He goes with the flow but likes routine.  

He plays hard, sleeps hard, and loves hard.  We couldn't love him more if we tried.  Here's to another year of discovering more about him and more about ourselves through him and his unique personality.  We're so glad he found us!