June is home from camp, we have sunny + cool northern travels to look forward to, we’re still enjoying summer and yet have also eased into back-to-school prep — in short, I’m feeling good. I hope August finds you in a contented place, as well!
If you, too, are straddling seasons, I pulled up a few posts that might be of help for us both:
On my calendar: — Our annual trip to Maine! This year, we’re going further north to Acadia for part of the time and traveling with friends. I’m looking forward to experiencing something new on this very-familiar (and very-beloved) trip. — Shep and Annie’s joint birthday adventure. We’re once again taking the train ride to Greensboro’s children’s museum with a few friends and they are so excited. — The first day of school! Fourth and first grade for June and Shep and a new Montessori preschool for Annie.
What I’m loving right now: — Good news on the concealer front: since Counter no longer carries (at least for now) my beloved formulation, I ventured to Sephora to find a replacement. A kind gal led me to Kosa’s clean brightening concealer and I’ve been very happy with shade 2.3N. (I rounded up all my current clean beauty favorites here if you’re in the market! These are the products I use daily, except for the perfume which is for special occasions :)) — My dear friend Nancy’s podcast has been turned into an ice cream flavor! Triangle locals, I think her creation (that’s it up at the top) goes back into the vault now that July is over, but it’s always a good time to pay a visit to Two Roosters. — Tricia asked about my watercolor supplies on my last goals post and I’m happy to share! I bought this pad of watercolor paper postcards at a local art shop and it’s made it so easy to paint petite scenes (and then send them to loved ones!). This small paint set is portable and vibrant and this is the online class I took – I loved that it focused on landscapes and it was quite helpful for a beginner like me.
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:
This is where I highlight a few items here that have been popular in the last month with fellow readers, based on my analytics. Here’s hoping this will help you find something you’ll love!
— My first two items ever from Lululemon, this tennis skirt and this top in the color lavender frost. I literally wore this combo to all six swim meets this summer after convincing myself that no one else was thinking about my outfits as much as I was :) The mesh and volume of the skirt is really unique and fun, and the top is so lightweight – perfect for summer humidity. — These slim ice packs, perfect for packed lunches. Maybe you all have started your back-to-school shopping, too? — The underbed boxes we use to store our kids’ artwork and school memorabilia. More about that system here! — John’s favorite button-down shirt, so soft and resistant to wrinkles. He tries to wear exclusively this style to work (and they’re 50% off as of this writing!!).
What I read in July: — I Cheerfully Refuse | Reading was slower last month as I prioritized my morning walks – and thus an earlier bedtime. Sadly, I can’t say yet whether I recommend the one book I’m working through. I want to love it – I adorethe other book I’ve read by this author – but so far I’m finding the dystopian future setting more depressing than the hopeful I was promised on the book jacket. I’m about halfway through and still trying to decide if I’m going to DNF and just re-read Peace Like a River. I’ll report back in September :)
Revisiting my July goals: Visit a Maine gallery and buy an original piece of artwork Tweak the TCF course outline (No progress whatsoever.) Review the TCF course outline with John (And thus no progress whatsoever.) Clean out pantry Complete June’s baby book Plan Annie + Shep’s joint birthday excursion Prep for and enjoy our Maine/Acadia trip Edit June in June
August goals: — Clean out pantry — Edit June in June — Make a watercolor painting en plein air while I’m in Maine — Help my Dad get his Storyworth off to print — Finalize new chore charts for the new school year — Schedule and enjoy back-to-school shopping dates with the two bigs — June’s, paired with afternoon tea as we’ve done for the last few years and Shep’s, with breakfast at IHOP (his request!) — Complete Shep’s baby book
To close out, I’m in the market for a new pair of sneakers and would love your recommendations! I’d like something fairly neutral (I think?) that I can wear with dresses and for walking around cities — something low-profile and comfy. Any favorites to pass along? Feel free to comment with anything else on your mind, too :)
We’re halfway through the year, which means it’s time for a goal update! I’m grateful for a chance to look up, celebrate what’s gone well, and reset for the second half of the year. You may recall that I had a larger-than-usual slate of goals for 2025, so let’s dig in — and I’ll try to keep it brief!
Big Goals
Goal No. 1: Achieve a VO2 max of at least 38
Progress I’ve made: After discovering that my V02 max was “below-average” thanks to my Apple Watch late last year, I set out to run once a week in the hopes of improving it. I did so for about two months, then started to suffer from knee pain. I resolved to strengthen the muscles around my knees to better support my running, so stopped running (and basically all cardio, oops) and focused on increasing strength training instead.
After my bloodwork wakeup call at the end of June (see below!), my new goal is to strength train three times a week (often with the Peloton Strength app) and walk briskly every morning for 30-40 minutes. The chance to catch up on my favorite podcasts has been more than enough to get me out of bed and I haven’t missed a day yet. My current V02 max is 30.6, up just a bit from 29.9 at the beginning of this year (though it now qualifies as “above average”!).
The next six months: Keep rolling with my morning walks and three-days-a-week strength training.
Goal No. 2: Plan and enjoy our 20th high school reunion
Progress I’ve made: We celebrated our reunion weekend at the end of June and it was everything I could have hoped for and more. I’d relive it a thousand times over if I could.
The next six months: I have reflections in the works for both Em for Marvelous — a rundown of the logistics and special details — and The Connected Family — some reflections on friendship before social media. For me, an experience like this isn’t complete until I’ve had a chance to capture it in words.
Goal No. 3: Refresh our master bathroom
Progress I’ve made: Thanks to a few conversations with an interior designer friend, we pulled inspiration, decided on a new layout, and started to select some finishes. We also interviewed and got estimates from three contractors — only to choose one and learn that they’re pausing all bathroom projects until they can hire a new trim carpenter. Argh!
The next six months: I’m hopeful our contractor will be back on track soon and we’ll be able to complete this project before the end of the year. While they’re in the house working on the bathroom, we also asked them to build a cased opening with built-in bookcases in our main room, to add a bit of separation between our dining and family room areas. Very excited about that, too!
Goal No. 4: Launch the TCF audio course
Progress I’ve made: Almost none, and honestly, it’s hard not to feel pretty pathetic at this point. I did make a decision about shifting the focus a bit, and that feels good, but it’s been hard to find time to work on it.
The next six months: As much as I’d love to make a big push now, summer — with the kids home from school and frequent travel — is not the time. I think my next mini milestone will be to have the revised outline ready to review with John before our anniversary trip in September.
Goal No. 5: Celebrate “The Year of Dating”
Progress I’ve made: This is a vague goal, and so it’s hard to track progress — but I do feel there’s been some. I’m thinking of some hard-but-fruitful conversations we had earlier this year, especially.
The next six months: An important task in the back half of this year is to secure a new regular babysitter. Our beloved babysitter as well as our back-up babysitter are both off to college next month, and though I know it’s not the last time we’ll see them, we do need someone to help out on an ongoing basis. I have my eye on a new gal — she lives in our neighborhood — so I feel hopeful it will work out, but I need to close the deal :)
Small Goals
Goal No. 1: Complete June and Shep’s baby books
June’s is complete! Feeling confident I can wrap up Shep’s before the end of the summer, too.
Goal No. 2: Transition Annie’s room to a big-kid room
Annie is out of her crib and happily ensconced in her gigantic queen bed. We’ve also replaced her dresser, swapped out the lamps, cleaned out the closet, and arranged her belongings in a way that’s helpful for her but neat-enough to accommodate occasional guests. The piece de resistance was hanging her new name banner from my friend Alli — one of her fourth birthday gifts! — on her door.
Goal No. 3: Host a potluck party
A date is on the books for September!
Goal No. 4: Visit a PCP and complete bloodwork
Done! After throwing up my hands in frustration over my own pickiness at choosing a doctor, I finally called a newly-opened practice five minutes from our house and made an appointment for the following day. I got lucky, because my doctor (actually a PA) was lovely and seemed sympathetic to my functional medicine/Peter Attia-flavored preferences.
While booking the appointment ended up being easier than I anticipated, the results themselves turned out to be a bit harder. Most of my levels were fine, but two were slightly elevated. I’m working on a few dietary and workout changes (see V02, above!), and we’ll recheck in six months. While some of the data was surprising and upsetting, I’m ultimately glad to have it.
Goal No. 5: Buy an original piece of art
Our visit to Maine is coming up later this month. I’m excited to pop into a few galleries and see what I can find!
Habits
Habit No. 1: Practice the piano regularly
I have certainly fallen short of my original goal of 20 minutes four times a week, but I have practiced much more than in any year past — so I’m considering that a success. I average playing one to two times a week right now. Something fun: several people in our church community group are working on musical goals this year, and we’ve decided that we’re going to have a mini recital at group in December! Yes, these are adults, ha.
Habit No. 2: Keep a scripture memory ring on the table
Most of my memorization energy has gone to the Gettysburg Address in the last few months, but I did create a memory ring out of index cards and added the scripture we’ve already memorized as a family to it. Psalm 100 is on deck after I’m done with Lincoln’s speech.
Habit No. 3: Clean out my phone screenshots day by day
The plan here: each day of the year, I’d sort through and take action on just that day’s screenshots from every year before. For example, on January 1, I might view and take action on screenshots for January 1 of 2020, 2021, and 2024. It has continued to be a productive delight; it feels so satisfying to put every recipe, playlist, book recommendation, and inspiration image where it can be put to good use.
Habit No. 4: Reflect the heart of the Father for the fatherless
My original intention was to support our friends and neighbors as they opened their home to a foster child, but since they don’t have a placement yet, I’ve shifted my energy to supporting needs through Care Portal. Care Portal connects families with specific needs with folks who can help, facilitated by agencies or ministries on one end and churches on the other. I try to fill at least one need a month, and so far we’ve provided things like bedding, roller skates, diapers, and kids’ clothing (either bought new or donated from our own gently-used stockpile).
Habit No. 5: Read the Bible daily
Though I originally planned to rest from a chronological plan this year, I never got into a topical study… so somewhat impulsively started the Bible Recap again on July 1! I listen to the scripture and commentary on my morning walk, and sometimes when I get ready for bed, too. I will almost certainly not finish by the end of the year but that’s just fine!
Tech Goals
I shared six tech-related goals on The Connected Family at the beginning of the year. I covered two of them in the habits section above, and here are the others:
Tech Goal No. 1: Better understand our school-issued Chrome book
Thanks to a generous reader and friend, I am making progress on this! I have a request out to her to collaborate with me on a resource on this topic for TCF and have my fingers crossed she’ll agree.
Tech Goal No. 2: Encourage June to bike to a friend’s home
Hasn’t happened yet but we’ve talked about it a bunch and I have hope it will happen before the end of the summer.
Tech Goal No. 3: Work toward a district-wide bell-to-bell school phone ban
I sadly can’t say we have achieved a district-wide bell-to-bell school phone ban yet, though our county did tighten their rules a bit — and will be forced to tighten them a bit more with new legislation that passed at the state level in June! (YAY!) It’s satisfying to feel I did what I could to support both, including appearing on my local news station in support of tighter policies (!!), emailing board members and governor’s working group members to advocate for more responsible policies, and encouraging my friends to take action, as well.
Tech Goal No. 4: Achieve active Wait Until 8th pledges in both our children’s grades
We have achieved one for Shep’s grade (YAY!) but not yet for June’s grade. I plan to raise awareness at the beginning of the new school year once again in the hopes of rallying more parents.
Thank you, as always, for listening, friends! It is a joy to share my goals here with you, and a joy to hear what you’re working on, as well. I’d love to check in on your progress in the comments, if you’d like to share! xo
We are settling into a nice little summer rhythm over here. The kids get up when they’d like, make their own breakfast, consult the day’s plan, then play outside for (at least) an hour. They come inside and are usually happy to scamper upstairs and work on something together: crafting a tiny lemonade stand for Mouse Town, playing school, constructing a fort, building with LEGOs, messing around in the kitchen. Around noon John and I break from work and we eat lunch together, then I read a chapter or two from our current readaloud. We’ll take a zip around the block if it’s not too hot.
After lunch it’s quiet time for an hour and a half in their rooms (they usually read or listen to the Yoto, while Shep sometimes draws or plays with LEGOs and June sometimes plays with her American Girl). Once they’re released, June practices piano and they do any clean-up that needs doing, then they can watch a show or movie for 30 minutes to an hour as I finish out my work day.
After that there’s time for a bit more play before the kids change into their suits and I pack dinner into our cooler. We eat in shifts poolside for two hours or so while the kids cycle through swim team practice, then it’s back home for quick showers and another chapter or two of our readaloud before a little solo reading in bed.
Of course, not every day proceeds exactly like this — or as smoothly as this short litany makes it sound (especially now that, as of yesterday, Annie’s co-op has ended and she’s in the mix at home). But these are good days, and I’m grateful for them.
More of this in July!
(Most of) the completed watercolor landscape collection before I shipped it off!
On my calendar: — Our town’s Independence Day bike parade! We haven’t been home for the Fourth of July in a few years and this is one thing I’m looking forward to about staying put. The kids have been in a flurry crafting decorations for their wheels the last few days. — Annie, John, and Shep’s birthdays! Lots of number balloons, special dinners, and celebrations over here. — A planning meeting for our Acadia trip! The countdown is on.
What I’m loving right now: — For those following my salad plate saga, I finally settled on these pretty green ones! They weren’t cheap, but then again neither was our original wedding china – and I hope to get 10+ years of delightful daily use out of this pattern, too. (The size is a little smaller than our old salad plates, but they still work well for plating dinner!) — Thanks to a generous birthday gift card from my in-laws, I recently made my first-ever purchase from Lululemon! After ordering a tank + skirt combo that was wayyyy too small, I ventured to the mall to find a replacement. I settled on this tennis skirt and this top in the color lavender frost. I’m obsessed and have worn this combo at least once a week ever since. The mesh and volume of the skirt is really unique and fun, and the top is so lightweight – perfect for summer humidity. I’m so glad I went into the store to try things on, because I don’t think I ever would have chosen this combo from the website! — Good news and bad news: Beauty Counter is back (now known simply as Counter), but they are only selling three makeup products at the moment. One is my beloved Skin Twin foundation (hooray!) but my equally-beloved concealer seems to have been discontinued (argh!). I’m scraping the bottom of my last tube so must begin the search for a replacement…
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:
This is where I highlight a few items here that have been popular in the last month with fellow readers, based on my analytics. Here’s hoping this will help you find something you’ll love!
— This preschool version of a paint-by-sticker book. Our family has long loved the kid version, but this simpler version was perfect for Annie (age 3). She carefully completed every page on our HHI road trip; we’ll definitely be stocking up for summer travel. (There are so many to choose from!) — Our favorite summer swim goggles for kids. No hair pulling (praise!). — The underbed boxes we use to store our kids’ artwork and school memorabilia. More about that system here! — The Shibumi shade, the pride of North Carolina. So lightweight, so easy to set up – it makes beach days a breeze. — Annie’s lavender tie-dye pool sandals. She and June have matching pairs!
What I read in June: — World Without End | Thus completes my re-read of the first three books in Ken Follett’s sweeping Kingsbridge series! (I’m counting “first three” as prologue + book 1 + book 2.) If you love a historical fiction novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat, this one’s for you. And World Without End was again confirmed as my favorite in the series! — Seabiscuit | Though I am so late to the party with this book (it was published in 2002!), I am so glad I finally read it! Seabiscuit’s underdog story is compelling enough on its own, but Laura Hillenbrand’s writing takes it to the next level – even throwaway sentences feel so carefully crafted. This is also a near perfect read-alike for one of my favorites from last year, The Boys in the Boat, so if you enjoyed that one, this should be your next pick!
Revisiting my June goals: Film June in June End the school year and begin summer well Clear out the art bin Paint three more watercolor postcards and send them off for the auction Plan for Annie’s July birthday Complete June’s baby book Make a PCP appointment (Not only did I make an appointment, I had an appointment!! I thought it might take weeks or months to be seen. I really liked my provider but was dismayed by some of the bloodwork results – and have a few changes brewing as a result.) Order supplies for sleepaway camp Host the reunion + have fun! (This weekend surpassed my expectations in the sweetest way. So, so grateful. More to come!)
July goals: — Visit a Maine gallery and buy an original piece of artwork (if something strikes my fancy!) — Tweak the TCF course outline — Review the TCF course outline with John — Clean out pantry — Complete June’s baby book — Plan Annie + Shep’s joint birthday excursion — Prep for and enjoy our Maine/Acadia trip — Edit June in June
In terms of daily goals, I’m continuing to memorize the Gettysburg Address (I have 5 of the 10 sentences down!) and work through my phone screenshots. I’m also adding a morning walk before the kids get up and – surprise! – diving into The Bible Recap’s daily reading plan once again! I loved doing it last year and have missed it ever since, so back I go. I don’t know if I’ll finish it by the end of the year or just get halfway through, but am excited either way.
Let’s see… any Acadia advice? Are you a longtime Lulu fan? Happy to see Counter back? Are you also starting a goal on an “off” time? I’d love to hear whatever’s on your mind as we move into the second half of the year!
Sweet summer! We’re in our last week of school but it feels like it’s already in full swing in some ways. All school-year extracurriculars are over, we have our summer planning TTT on Thursday (excited to fill these out!), we’ve printed out summer reading challenges, and our first swim meet is tonight – whee! Here’s what else we have planned this month…
Wrapping paper courtesy of Annie + a watercolor penguin card by yours truly = a sweet Father’s Day package
On my calendar: — Swim meets! Our neighborhood swim season has begun and it’s a fun vibe to spend many of our evenings at the pool surrounded by friends and neighbors. Since practice runs from 6-7:45pm across all three kids, we’ve packed sandwiches for dinner most nights alongside this 8-compartment bento box filled with fruit, veggies, pickles, chips, and cookies. — Father’s Day! I’m once again organizing a pastry bar from a local favorite cafe for the men at our church, and celebrating my own wonderful husband, Dad, and father-in-law. — Our 20th high school reunion! We fly to Connecticut later this month and can’t wait to squeeze our friends and revisit some of our favorite haunts on the shoreline.
What I’m loving right now: — I picked up The Detective Dog from the library on a whim and it is a new family favorite picture book! The rhyme scheme is excellent (thank you, Julia Donaldson!) and the illustrations are equally charming. — I am late to the party but I recently made my first (and then second) purchase from Bookshop.org! If you, too, are late, their goal is to give readers the convenience of online shopping while supporting independent bookstores at the same time. You get to choose the local bookstore you’d like to support and they’ll earn 30% of the purchase price (most of the profit) when you designate them in your account. (I’m currently supporting Fable, a new bookstore near me that’s slated to open soon!) You do pay for shipping, which annoys me as much as the next person, but I’m trying to reacclimatize myself to paying for a service that does, indeed, cost money.) — My and Annie’s habit for the last few weeks has been to sing along to “Day for Singing” by Jess Ray on our way to school each morning. It does a beautiful job of helping me set a hopeful, energetic tone for the day ahead.
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:
This is where I highlight a few items here that have been popular in the last month with fellow readers, based on my analytics. Here’s hoping this will help you find something you’ll love!
— This preschool version of a paint-by-sticker book. Our family has long loved the kid version, but this simpler version was perfect for Annie (age 3). She carefully completed every page on our HHI road trip; we’ll definitely be stocking up for summer travel. (There are so many to choose from!) — Our favorite summer swim goggles for kids. No hair pulling (praise!). — The underbed boxes we use to store our kids’ artwork and school memorabilia. More about that system here! — The Shibumi shade, the pride of North Carolina. So lightweight, so easy to set up – it makes beach days a breeze. — Annie’s lavender tie-dye pool sandals. She and June have matching pairs!
What I read in May: — A Prayer for Owen Meany | I specifically chose this book for this month’s slot because I remember one of my high school best friends (who I will see in a few weeks!) claiming this as his favorite book back when we were in English 12 together. That has stuck with me for the past 20 years, and now having read it, I’m even more eager to discuss it with him. More astute reviewers have called it among the very best American novels of our time, a work of genius, a heartbreaking masterpiece of a novel, but I cringe to say I wasn’t overly impressed? At 700 pages it felt bloated to me, especially on the heels of the similar but much more lithe Gilead. I kept wanting to skip ahead; when several threads came together in the final pages, it felt more like a relief than rewarding. The anti-war, anti-American commentary also felt heavy-handed. All that being said, I do think it’s a book — and cast of characters — that will stick with me. We shall see what my friend has to say :) — The Power of Moments | This was a quick read exploring why certain brief experiences can jolt us and elevate us and change us—and how we can learn to create such extraordinary moments in our life and work. The authors didn’t include many parenting applications in the book but it seems to me there are a ton; I’m planning to write a TCF newsletter inspired by it in the future. — Loved and Missed | I picked up this book after an enthusiastic review by Jenny Rosenstrach, and it didn’t disappoint. Ruth, the dignified narrator, swivels between trying to love and save her daughter Eleanor, a drug addict living in squalor, and trying to love and save Eleanor’s daughter Lily, whom Ruth is raising as her own. This book is slim and packs a punch, filled with dialogue that achingly brings you right into each fraught relationship. It is both brutally sad and magnificently triumphant. I’m glad I moved it to the top of my queue.
Revisiting my May goals: Hire a bathroom contractor now that all estimates are in (We selected a contractor only to get the news that they aren’t taking new projects until they hire a new trim carpenter! Argh! We aren’t in any rush so are hoping they’ll find one soon.) Complete three more watercolor landscape postcards (Yes! Four, actually!) Edit Annie in April (Underway!) Finalize, print, and send itineraries for our reunion weekend Make reservations for our reunion weekend (Still stuck on one dinner! My project for tomorrow!) Refresh our plan for summer days at home Plan for and lead dance class; wrap up my third grade book club
June goals: — Film June in June — End the school year and begin summer well — Clear out the art bin — Paint three more watercolor postcards and send them off for the auction — Plan for Annie’s July birthday (it will sneak up with travel!) — Complete June’s baby book — Make a PCP appointment. I don’t even really care who it’s with at this point, I’m just going to make one. — Order supplies for sleepaway camp — Host the reunion + have fun!
I’m also working on memorizing the Gettysburg Address. June is keeping me accountable, and my main tactic is to set a reminder on my phone and read it aloud once a day. Super simple!
To close, I would love to hear one thing you’re doing to prepare well for summer! No matter what season of life you’re in – whether you have kids or not, a job that shifts or not – a new season on the calendar always feels like an opportunity to be kind to our future selves :) It could be putting books on hold at the library, deciding on a lunch you can repeat, planning now for a trip, or resetting toy storage… the smallest things can make a big difference! Please share in the comments, if you’d like.
