I'm cautiously optimistic about this month. Summer has been a little rough emotionally, but I'm feeling that things are falling into place. Perhaps I'm still on a high from being spoiled with love at my bridal shower (more on that later), but I'm hoping this feeling lasts.
After a sparse social calendar for the last few months, this week is packed full of activities. Today brings a Starbucks date with a friend, meeting my new principal (and bringing her Starbucks because I'm not above bribery to make a good first impression), and seeing a friend's new home (and delivering her wedding gift because I was unable to make it to her June wedding in Ohio). Tomorrow brings another Starbucks date (thank goodness I have gift cards), a planning session, and the gym. Wednesday includes a lunch date, a make up deal, and outlet shopping. Thursday is another meet and greet with the new principal, followed by pre op blood work and paperwork. Friday brings a brunch date ({Crepe Expectations} is phenomenal), visiting a friend, and minor league baseball game. Saturday is his company picnic and Sunday is my dress fitting. I already need a nap just thinking about it!
However, then next week things will change. I'm scheduled for surgery on Monday and then begin the healing process. I'll make a cozy nest on the couch surrounded by books and drinks, then hunker down to let my nose heal before the chaos of a new school year begins.
First, I will finish all of my bridal thank you's in a timely manner.
I'm about half done with my thank you's and considering the shower was Saturday, I'm feeling super confident! I had trouble sleeping yesterday, so I channeled that into productivity.
Second, I will be more consistent with my fitbit.
I really, really fell off the band wagon this summer. I knew I was being lazy, so I wouldn't wear it so I didn't feel guilty about my lack of steps. It's time to change that. My lovely hubby to be is syncing it with my new phone right now.
Third, I will finally finish (and start) Wonder.
I've heard great things about this novel, so I'm not sure why I'm having trouble getting into the story.
Fourth, this:
I've waited a long time for this. I will savor this.
Fifth, I will make my future MIL's front door wreath. Her birthday is at the end of the month but I'd like to have it finished by early next week.
Sixth, I'll undergo sinus corrective surgery. While everything is not 100% finalized, I'm going in for blood work on the 4th and surgery on the 8th. Healing is a gross process but I've heard from multiple sources that I'll feel so much better.
Seventh, I'll set up my classroom. My cozy classroom was used for both summer school and was painted, meaning that most of my teaching things are currently residing in the garage. I think I'm free to go back in on the 17th. I'll be taking it easy (since I'll be at the tail end of the recovery), so once again I'm grateful that school is ten minutes away. (Also, I think the air is still on summer schedule which means it is turned off at 1 pm, which limits my work time each day--a good thing!)
Eighth, I won't go crazy with purchasing classroom supplies. We were required to post our class supply lists before checking out in June, so I'm hopeful for some generous parents who want to send an extra pack of markers to fill supply tubs.
Ninth, I'll continue to plan ahead for meals and work on preparing them ahead of time. I've got two cute lunch bags so there's really no excuse.
Tenth, I'll finish the rest of the wedding prep. I've got groomsmens gifts to order, invites to finalize and mail out, and a few other tasks. Nothing major, just a lot of loose ends to wrap up before the school year starts.
Eleventh, I will get my first week(s) of school lesson plans done before the weekend when school starts! I would rather work a little bit each day and ease into the school year than procrastinate and spend an entire weekend getting prepared. I realize some of my teacher friends feel the exact opposite and that's okay. I want to minimize my stress this year.
Perhaps it's because it's the first of the month and that makes me optimistic, but I'm excited for August. I'm hopeful that good things will be happening all month long!
I didn't do so well with June's goals, so hopefully July turns out better! Granted, the month is half over, so let's keep things short and sweet.
In the next thirteen days, here are my thirteen goals:
1) Have the house totally cleaned for when my mom, bro, and his gf come up for my bridal shower at the end of the month. My bestie and MOH can't make it, but her mama is making the drive up from AZ! She gets to see our home for the first time, so I want to make a good impression.
Now the house isn't dirty per say, I've just been in a binging and organizing mood. Bags have gone to Goodwill full of things that don't bring me joy or reflect the life that B and I are building together.
Granted, having most of my classroom in my garage & den isn't helping the situation!
I am enjoying redecorating and organizing the house. B and I had a talk about our future plans for the living room. We'd like a sectional. He'd like new end tables. I'd like larger bookcases (not my ancient cheap ones) and to move our art pieces over a few feet.
However, none of that is financially possible at the moment so I calmed my redecorating urges with redoing our baker's rack:
I struggled to find bookcases I liked (and could afford) when I first moved to Vegas, so this baker's rack was a perfect find. It's hard to tell from the picture, but it's a black cast iron frame with dark wood shelves. Normally I'm not a fan of the mixing of black and brown, but it turned out to perfectly match our furniture. Almost everything I owned was black, but he's more a fan of brown, so we are compromising and blending the two. I snagged this rack at a JC Penney home store on clearance. I recently purchased the new illustrated copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and naturally wanted to display it. However, he wanted his Denver Broncos things on display as well, so we compromised. He got a football shelf (and hasn't noticed I snuck my Cardinals Mr. Potato Head in there!) while I got a shelf for my books.
Of course, a new couch is far down on our to buy list. Besides the wedding, a new water softener is our next major purchase! Then a security door and new bedroom set...then new carpet and tile for the master bedroom...then a patio set...then a new couch. Then, because that's obviously a several year plan, it will be time to (hopefully) decorate a nursery.
2) Finish Wonder.
I've heard great things about the novel and want to read it before my students do.
3) Finish rewatching The Office with B on Netflix. He's never seen the series and it's one of my favorites. We're making excellent progress.
4) Try some new recipes. This Buzzfeed {video} popped up on Facebook...
...and these bbq chicken sliders are on the docket for Tuesday's dinner! It's not really a recipe, but I also want to make champagne ice cubes for my bridal shower!
5) Attend my bridal shower and not be offended that I'm not allowed to help decorate. My future MIL is co-hosting the shower (with my momma and maids) at her house and despite my deep rooted desires to be in charge of everything and craft all things, she has banned me from helping. She wants to pamper me and I tried to talk her out of it, but I lost.
6) Set up my new phone. My Galaxy 4 died around Easter, so I used B's backup G3. With the issues I had in my classroom involving theft, I wasn't going to buy a new phone until the summer. I wanted to wait until the end of this month, but alas, my clumsiness won. I dropped my phone and did a stellar job of ruining the screen:
However, Tmobile is close and I got a new phone. I even managed to accidentally match my nails to the case!
There are lots of new tools and apps to figure out! (But Pokemon Go! is not one of them!)
7) Finish most of the long range plans. I {shared before} that we're trying units of study. We mapped out the first one and while I spent hours typing up notes, my ancient computer crashed and I lost all of it. I had our ideas jotted down on paper so it wasn't a total waste, just a frustrating afternoon filled with tears and curse words.
I must also keep in mind that this could have been much worse. This could have happened during the school year when I don't have the luxury of binge watching Netflix and multi-tasking with typing up notes. We talked through ideas for the first unit and part of the second unit. Mrs. H and I have very different personalities (she's linear and sequential in her thinking while I am a complete squiggle), but we balance one another well. Plus we both like to try new things and are pretty similar with our teaching styles. Even if the rest of the grade level doesn't want to try our plans (which is fine), I'm excited for them.
Excitement was something that was a tad lacking in my classroom last year, so I'm hoping this complete change is exactly what I need.
We're meeting up again this week to keep working on units. It's not too painful to set aside one afternoon a week during the summer to try and get ahead for next year.
8) Send out birthday cards in a timely manner. Two of my bridesmaids, my future MIL, and brother have birthdays within the next five weeks. I've got gift ideas in mind, but I'd like to get their presents to them before their birthdays.
9) I'd say exercise every day, but that's unfortunately a bit of a lofty goal when I haven't done so great this entire summer. I am going to the gym with a colleague on Mon & Wed of this week, so that's a start. If I can fit in at least two other work outs, I'll consider that a success.
10) Finish going through our junk mail pile. I learned the hard way that you can't do tons of shredding at a time. I also learned the hard way that the plastic on the outside of envelopes can ruin the shredder blades. So I'm determined to make shredder #3 last for a while because quite frankly, there are many other things I'd like to spend my money on!
11) Be more consistent with my small businesses. Having a new phone should definitely help with my {make up business} because I won't have to wait for B to get home to use his camera.
I did try out a new {lip stain shade} last week and celebrated with some selfies:
Of course, one of my helpers is there too! I wasn't actually going out for the day and didn't want to do a full face of make up (just primer, foundation, brows, and lips...so five minutes of prep), so I seized the opportunity to rock my new shades and bypass doing my eyes.
(Side note: thank you Target for having cute, polarized sunglasses for twenty bucks!)
12) Help my mama set up her new phone. We found a really good deal on a new phone for her and she's getting it as an early birthday present. We got her a case and screen protector to go with it. First on the must have app list? Ibotta and Cartwheel of course!
(If you haven't checked out Ibotta, do so with this code: uvnspet
I'm up to almost $40 in rebates! Once I hit $100, B and I are going on a fancy date!)
13) Nap. I've got a lot of time consuming goals and I'm going to practice some self care as well. I love naps. I will be taking advantage of them while I can.
