Good morning and happy Wednesday! I’ve been up since 5am, because I’ve been going above and beyond with my Early Morning Challenge for the past week. My plan was to wake up at 6am every day to do my productive hour, but Matt’s been doing 5am since he has to start his work day earlierโso I’ve been piggybacking off his motivation to get up at 5am, as well. Still working on that early bedtime thing, though, oof.
So far, this early morning routine has been going great. I’m still getting into the groove of how I want to spend each 20-minute section of my hour, but the fact I’m being so productive so early has been putting me in an incredibly good mood as I start each work day.
Although it’s still very hard to get myself out of bed so early, that feeling quickly passes, and suddenly my workout has started before I know it. Planning everything out the night before has been the most important thing for me so far. But enough about waking up at an ungodly hour.
I have a lot of favorites to share from August! Keep scrolling for all the goods from the past month.
August Favorites
Blog Anniversary – Oh hey, August 8-ish or 10-ishโI can never remember. Another blog anniversary, another blog post that makes me wonder where the years have gone. Check out my 8-year blogging anniversary post to see my top posts and recipes from the last year, plus a little reflection.
Goodreads Highlights – In my 2020 Goals post, I said I wanted to read 12 books this year, but apparently I’m already at 20 and I’ve only just warmed up. When I introduced the concept of keeping a book journal (and why I’ve found it to be so important for myself), I mentioned taking notes while reading. But for a lot of books, especially audio books, I’ve started relying heavily on Goodreads’ quotes section to go over my eBook highlights or what others have highlighted. Then I write down the ones that resonate with me the most in my journal to refer back to. It’s been a great way to reflect on books I finish, when I didn’t want to take the time to jot things down while I read. (Here’s the Dandelion Wine Quotes page if you’re curious; you don’t need a Goodreads account to access it.)
Our House by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – I’ve been in a big 70s music mood lately, and after hearing this song on How I Met Your Mother (when Ted buys his run-down house), I couldn’t help but listen to it on repeat. It leaves me all sentimental and happy.
Telling People They’re Great – This is something I very randomly did over the past few weeks, and it’s turned into a pattern. From reaching out to old friends to applauding coworkers I don’t talk to often, I’ve found it very rewarding to be vulnerable for a few minutes by letting people I admire know that they’re great for this or that. And if anyone ever thinks I’m weird for doing this, it’s still worth it, because the people I’ve reached out to have seemed very grateful for me recognizing their hard work and value. We all have these thoughts, so why not say them out loud? It might just have a lasting positive effect on someone else’s life. Lord knows life is too short not to tell people how you feel about them.
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates – In an effort to better understand racism and be a more productive anti-racist, I’ve been focused on incorporating more books to help me learn about related topics. I just finished this one (in audio book form), and it had a big impression on me. It’s written in the form of a letter to Coates’ young son. I found it to be beautifully written as he details what he wants and doesn’t want for his son, which is very touching through his eye-opening stories and perspectives.
Board Games – What is there to do when you’re in the midst of a pandemic and are trying not to go in public too often? Board games, obviously. I registered (ehem, “we” did) for a bunch of board games for our wedding, and we’re on a roll with finally opening several of themโ4 years later. We’ve got a fresh box of Scrabble, deck of Uno cards, Go Fish, and as of a couple days ago… Pandemic. And if you’re wondering, yes, Pandemic felt hauntingly real.
Sunflower, Vol 6 by Harry Styles – If sharing a song from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in the same list as a Harry Styles song doesn’t show you how diverse and unbelievably random my taste in music is, then I don’t know what else to do. I couldn’t care less about One Direction, but there have been some songs from Harry Styles that I actually really enjoy. This one and Watermelon Sugar from his 2019 album are both a bubbly vibe I can get on board with.
Having a Grill Again – It’s been several years since we’ve been able to have a charcoal grill (#ApartmentLife), but we decided to finally buy one again now that we don’t have rules prohibiting them. In addition to all food tasting way better, I thoroughly enjoy that grilling is Matt’s territory and he’s willing to cook more during the week. Win-win!
Popsicle Recipe – In case you weren’t aware, August 26th is National Cherry Popsicle Day. Well I’ve never made popsicles with cherries, so I present you with one of my favorite boozy strawberry popsicle recipes: Strawberry Daiquiri Popsicles! (Omit the rum for a kid-friendly version.)
Wooden Spatula – I’ve been wanting to replace a lot of our plastic utensils with a more sustainable material like wood. I’ve only ever seen plastic or metal spatulas until recently, so when I saw this wood one at Target, I had to get it! I’m into it.
What have you been keeping you entertained/busy over the past month?
