September 2023 goals

While it would be a delight to completely finish each monthly goal, it’s not always possible. Some goals I don’t even touch, while for others, I make progress, but don’t quite close the loop. Such was the case with an item from my July goals: tackling the master closet. I wrote in my August goal update that John and I made great progress but weren’t quite done, and though I didn’t officially list it as an August goal, I’m thrilled to say that this month we went through every shoe, hanging item of clothing, shelf, and drawer in our closet and bedroom. We kept only what we love and made sure it all has a neat and organized home (with the help of two of these to corral our drawers). What a sense of accomplishment!!

One other thing to mention here at the top: behind the scenes, I am preparing a new series for September and October. In the last two years, we’ve tackled blogging and working part-time as a mom when the leaves start to change – it seems fall brings with it the energy to dive into some meatier topics! This next topic is one I feel passionately about discussing and also that I know needs to be addressed with great care – because when it is talked about online, it’s generally in the most tribal and discouraging way. As I’ve been prepping, I have been continually thankful that you trust me to lead conversations like this. I do not take it for granted.

Something fun: in this series you will be hearing not just from me, but from a few trusted, real-life friends, as well. For those who were around for the popular Marvelous Mama series of a few years back, I hope this gets you excited :)

Because it’s always interesting and helpful to see your guesses, feel free to take a stab in the comments as to what our fall topic is this year! I hope to publish the first post on Tuesday.

This is not a glamorous picture, but I snapped it because it’s an accurate representation of what my quick + potent planning session looks like every Sunday. PowerSheets with monthly calendar, weekly notepad, laptop, blog planning clipboard, lots of markers :)

On my calendar:
— Our anniversary trip to Charleston! It will be much shorter and simpler than last year’s ten-year celebration in Mexico, but we are SO looking forward to it.
— Our annual camping trip with the Rays! We are headed to a lakeside campsite in Virginia and they are bringing their boat!
— The first day of fall! We’ll bake apple cider scones for our family and June’s teachers, a tradition we started seven years ago.

What I’m loving right now:
— Grab your tissues – “At the Table” by Josh Garrels is a beautiful tearjerker that will get you right in the feels if you’re a parent. Hurts so good.
— This podcast episode is basically the story of my life. Like everything from Morgan Housel, it packs a punch in an efficient package – here, in less than 15 minutes.
— June requested more daffodils and tulips in our yard, so I ordered this mix of butterfly daffodils and this mix of tulips. I love that they ship at the right time for planting in your garden zone!

As a reminder, you can find allll the things I’ve loved over the last few years neatly organized right here!

What you’re loving right now:

New segment alert! I thought it could be fun to highlight a few items here that have been popular in the last month with fellow readers, based on my analytics. Maybe this will help you find something you’ll love!

— These white wood and linen bulletin boards, which we use to display kid artwork
— Habits of the Household, a book I 100% adored
— Nippies, a why-didn’t-I-get-these-sooner item if ever there was one
— This sage green striped dress, one of my favorite things to pull on for days of school drop-off, working on the couch, running errands, and cooking dinner
— The Yoto mini, one of Shep’s fifth birthday presents

What I read in August:
— As You Wish | Even though I would classify myself as just a fan (and not a super-fan) of The Princess Bride, this book was a delight! Written by the author who played Wesley, it includes tons of behind-the-scenes details from the making of the movie as well as commentary from the all-star cast. A fun summer read!
— Raising Emotionally Strong Boys | I liked but did not love this book. While I adore David and Sissy, it didn’t feel like this book pulled out much more than they talk about in the RB&G podcast.
— Red Rising | I first read this book in 2014, then again in 2017, but when my sister was reading it for the first time on vacation, I couldn’t resist pulling it back out. Described as a cross between The Hunger Games and Ender’s Game, it’s also wholly its own distinct world that will grip you from the start.
— The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden | June and I continue our parallel reading of this series :) Just the sweetest!

My reading list for 2023! I’m 19 / 24 so far for the year, which is officially more than I’ve ever completed in one of these challenges!!

Revisiting my August goals:
Make plans for our anniversary trip to Charleston (We sadly didn’t get a reservation for FIG, but are otherwise set.)
Clean out the art basket and clean off the top of my white dresser (Done! Just in time to start accumulating with the new school year :))
Buy bins for each kids’ mementos and artwork and sort items from the current joint box into them (Done! More details here.)
Tackle the pantry
Edit June in June, Volume 8

September goals:
— Work out 3 hours each week (I just listened to this podcast episode and feel motivated to experiment this month… we’ll see how it goes!)
— Tackle the garage
— Film Sheptember
— Make our 2015-2019 photo album
— Write and design the Articles Club guide
— Book a fall family photo session
— Share the first half of the new blog series

As a reminder, many of these are drawn from my 2023 goals!

Happy almost-fall, friends! Feel free to comment on the new series topic or anything else on your mind!

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