As you’ll soon see, July was not the most illustrious month for my goals — BUT. But but but but but. While I did not complete many of the goals I set out to do, I did make MAJOR progress on a 2020 goal that was dead in the water up until a week ago. Drumroll, please…
YES! I MADE THOSE! While we were in Connecticut, I completed five whole ornaments from my Advent calendar kit (2020 goal no. 6!). You may remember that I opened the box early in the year, looked at the instructions, and quickly closed it back up, wildly intimidated. With some very kind encouragement from reader Carly (who is working on the same kit!) and a few tutorials from my wonderful mother-in-law, I was quickly sewing up a storm at nap times and in the evenings while on vacation. I’m still kind of in shock, but here we are! Just goes to show that goal progress doesn’t have to happen like you think it will to be really wonderful :)
On my calendar this month: — Both kids head back to preschool. I have lots of thoughts about this, obviously, but I’m excited to make it a great transition for everyone. — Otherwise, it should be a quiet month after lots of travel! Looking forward to digging into a few projects, catching up with friends, and getting back into some good rhythms.
What I’m loving right now: — I hesitated to recommend this podcast episode, because at the end of the two hours, the conversation does not tie up neatly in a bow. But if you are newer to these voices and curious about nuanced solutions to the current racial crisis, I think it’s worth a listen. Plus, these are just some really smart, interesting black intellectuals and academics to have on your radar. — We completed these DIY keychain kits on Team Cultivate in honor of our new office keys, and they were so fun! They’d make a great gift, and I love supporting another small business. — I’m not usually your girl for makeup tips, but this under eye brightener is MAGIC! Turns out it’s the key missing ingredient in my very minimal summer/COVID makeup routine. I use it in place of under eye concealer and it is perfect – brightens, doesn’t crease, doesn’t make you choose from an array of 20+ colors (I always choose wrong). Highly, highly recommend!
As a reminder, you can find allll the things I’ve loved over the last few years neatly organized right here!
What I read in July: — Eligible | I picked this up while we were in Maine and it was an ideal vacation read! Funny, well-paced, and with very short chapters that made it perfect for picking up and putting back down :) The story is based on Pride & Prejudice, but because it’s been years since I read P&P, it had to stand on its own for me, and it did. — Bet on Talent | Almost done with this work-related pick from my 2020 reading list. It’s interesting (always love hearing more about CFA), but I’m not sure I’ve read anything really Earth-shattering in it yet!
Revisiting my July goals: Because I completed SO few of my July goals and many will be moving to my August list, here’s the quick update: I sold my chairs (yay!), had a walking date with my new neighbor friend (yay!), chose a song for June in June (yay!), and have part one of my photo organization guide ready to go up later this week! (YAY!)
August goals: — Begin reading Mark with John — Book our camping trip for this fall — Sort through my SCC secretary responsibilities and make an easy-to-follow yearly checklist — Watch Just Mercy with John now that I’ve finished the book — Buy a new handbag — Edit June in June, Volume 5 — Complete four more Advent ornaments — Post all three parts of my photo organization guide — Clean out downstairs craft supplies once kids go back to preschool — Do something fun with at least one friend couple — Mock up a design board for our upstairs bathroom — Ride our stationary bike Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (trying something new to get me back in a good rhythm!)
Taken all together this list looks a little intimidating, especially given the month I just had (ha), but I’m hopeful that the lack of travel and the return to routines will give me a fighting chance!
Happy July, friends! This middle-of-the-year month is always sweet: I get to celebrate some of my favorite people (we have 6 birthdays in 6 weeks between our family, siblings, and parents!), I usually get to spend time in some of my favorite places, and I get to enjoy some of my all-time favorite things… peach desserts, homegrown tomatoes, blueberry picking, swimming holes, and boat rides, to name a few.
No matter what your calendar holds — whether it looks like any other July or totally new — I hope you get to enjoy a few of your favorite things this month, too!
P.S. I mention this below, but feel free to sign up for the new EFM “newsletter” right here! It’s just a simple email alert every time a new post goes live (and the formatting is admittedly wonky), but it’s something many of you have asked me for for years, so I’m happy to finally deliver!
On my calendar this month: — The birthdays of my two best guys! Looking forward to celebrating them both. — Road trips to Maine and Connecticut! I can’t wait to spend time in two of my favorite places with some of my favorite people.
What I’m loving right now: — If you’re still in need of a mask (or need to add to your collection), this one shipped super fast and is comfy! June and I also have a matching blue floral pair :) — I have used whitening toothpaste for years, but never really felt like it made much of a difference (I’m also a wimp and can’t stand the sensitivity from things like white strips). This toothpaste has made a noticeable difference in the last month with NO sensitivity – highly recommended! — Right now, growing the faith of my children is the weightiest and most intimidating responsibility in my life (thank God I’m not doing it alone!). I really appreciated this episode from Nancy with encouragement and a few simple ideas.
As a reminder, you can find allll the things I’ve loved over the last few years neatly organized right here – including the recipe for that delicious peach and blackberry crumble up there!
What I read in June: — A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | I have been talking about this classic with Lisa for years, and I’m so glad to have finally experienced it! As she joked, it’s a book where nothing really happens — and yet, you grow so attached to the characters. — World Without End | The massive sequel to my favorite fiction read of 2019. It did not disappoint, though many people who’ve read both told me they prefer this one, and I think I enjoyed them equally! The plague is a major plot element, which made for interesting reading in this season. — Just Mercy | I am three chapters in and know this is going to be an incredibly impactful read. If, like me, you have grown weary of the hot takes, gleeful shaming, and educational oneupmanship that has accompanied June’s racial justice movement on social media, you might find it equally refreshing to be educated by such a wise, compassionate expert in long-form.
My library just reopened for grab & go books, so I’m excited to get back on track with my 2020 reading list as best I can!
Revisiting my June goals: Add more diverse faces to our family library (Our latest additions have arrived and been thoroughly enjoyed!) Finish reading Matthew with John Set up a simple email newsletter for EFM(Yes! You can sign up here! It’s still a little wonky, but this is a really simple way you can be notified of new posts if you don’t use a service like Feedly. Enjoy! :)) Write some entries in our COVID-19 family journal. (Did not get to this!) Photocopy favorite recipes from cookbooks to round out our recipe binder Book our camping trip for this fall (Confirmed a date but have not booked yet!) Have a little three-person game night every Friday this month with June, after Shep goes to bed. (She and I spent time coloring our gigantic print from Camp Castle instead! Planning to try this goal again in the future!) Use the Peloton app to move every day this month on days we don’t ride our bikes or otherwise exercise.(Yes! This was a huge success!! Loved doing 5-minute arms and a stretching session almost every night with John – having him onboard was a game changer. Will continue with this as a daily goal in my PowerSheets!)
July goals: — Begin reading Mark with John — Hang artwork bulletin board in the loft — Book our camping trip for this fall — Sort through my SCC secretary responsibilities and make an easy-to-follow yearly checklist — Watch Just Mercy with John after finishing the book — List chairs for sale — Buy a new handbag (more on this soon…) — Edit June in June, Volume 5! — Have a walking date with my new neighborhood friend Elaine — Post my photo organization guide (!)
Keeping things (fairly) simple for this month with lots of travel! I’d love to hear: what’s your absolute favorite dessert? John always chooses an ice cream cake for his birthday, and I’d say I’m split between the peach and blackberry crumble above and homemade chocolate cream pie… yum!!
Back with part two of my mid-year goals review! Part one is here.
Goal no. 5: Build our family culture Progress I’ve made: This was one of my less-clear goals at the start, but I’m really happy with how it’s shaping up. Books are usually my first foray into a goal, and so far I’ve read and pondered The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry and The Secrets of Happy Families. On our last date before quarantine, John and I brainstormed the beginnings of a family mission statement (this podcast episode informed our discussion). Also this year: we added more storage boxes to facilitate celebration throughout the year, we each camped out in the backyard with June, we’ve had more backyard s’mores nights, we experimented with morning and evening routine charts (and decided we’ll revisit them in the future), and we added more diverse faces to our family library. What I hope to accomplish in the next six months: This is going to sound SO extra to some, but I’d love to begin building a set of “family by-laws” – a living document that sets out what’s important to us, our mission statement, core values, traditions, behaviors, etc. I think this will be helpful for us as we live into it now, and also hopefully a treasure for our kiddos to look at when they’re older!
Goal no. 6: Complete our family Advent calendar as a route to analog hours Progress I’ve made: Um, almost none?? You thought I was doing pretty well until now, ha! Truly, this has been a MUCH more complicated project than I expected. I have about zero sewing skills and I don’t own a sewing machine… and the instructions are all for machine sewing. I DO have a sister and a friend who both have a machine and have some skills, and I’m hopeful that once restrictions lift I might be able to wrangle one or both of them into a few side-by-side marathon sewing sessions. Thus far, all I have done is open the box :) What I hope to accomplish in the next few months: I would love to have at least one sewing session with my sister. I’d also love to complete the backdrop portion of the kit so we can use it this Advent!
Goal no. 7: Complete three family photo albums Progress I’ve made: Carrying over momentum from last year, I culled, sorted, and edited my 2019 iPhone photos, and sent some early loose photos to be digitized. And then (drumroll, please…), I designed and printed our first family album!! Each album will cover five years – this one is for 2005 – 2009. I chose Artifact Uprising, and have a few thoughts to share! Post coming soon. What I hope to accomplish in the next few months: Two more albums – one for 2010-2014 and one for 2015-2019! I also REALLY want to get my photo organizing guide up for you all!
Goal no. 8: Streamline meal planning Progress I’ve made: I’ve been moving and shaking on this goal, and it’s been so gratifying! After deciding to use a binder as my organization system, I cleaned out my existing recipe binder, printed and filed all our favorite online recipes, and reorganized my Pinterest boards (now I have printed recipes here and recipes to try here). I also added a non-recipe cheat sheet to the binder, a dry erase board to track what’s in our freezer, and designed a custom Publix shopping list to make grocery shopping even more of a pleasure ;) Together, we had fun with a virtual recipe exchange right here on EFM! I have absolutely LOVED using my binder for the last few months – much more here! What I hope to accomplish in the next few months: The meal planning potluck Kristin and I had in the works this spring was indefinitely postponed due to COVID; I’m really hopeful we’ll be able to host it at some point this year. I’d also love to share more recipes and meal plans here on the blog and consolidate our favorite cookbook recipes in the binder.
Friends, please commiserate with me: have any of your 2020 goals been a total failure so far? If so, you’re not alone :)
Aside from March (when I crossed off almost nothing on my PowerSheets, having set my monthly goals before the world fell apart), 2020 has been a year of surprising progress for me.
Perhaps this is because, as an introvert, my goals are naturally focused on my home and my family. Certainly it’s because we’ve been fortunate to only have experienced soft blows from COVID-19, like disrupted childcare, travel upheaval, and weaker earnings, and not the devastation of illness, death, or job loss. I’d imagine it’s also because, with uncertainty raging outside our door and what matters most thrown into even greater relief, I’ve had the motivation to double down on the good things I can control. No commutes for John or me have certainly helped, too :)
I’ve done these mid-year goal updates for the last few years, and I’ve always found them a helpful chance to look back and look ahead. But in this particular year, when the disappointments and canceled plans and heartache of the last six months loom large, I think it’s even more important to count the fruit. Thanks for counting it with me, friends.
P.S. This post ended up being longer than I expected, so I’ll be back with an update on my last four goals later this week!
Goal no. 1: Live a wild life outdoors Progress I’ve made: We’ve gone on a hike or “off-trail” adventure at least once a month: wading in our neighborhood creek, playing at Prairie Ridge Ecostation or the Museum of Life & Science, forging our own trails in our neighborhood and local parks, picnic lunching in the middle of the woods, and swimming in the Eno River. Closer to home, we added a sand and rock table to our front porch and commissioned a gate across our steep front steps, creating a new zone for independent outdoor play (we also added more plants to our back bed). I read How to Raise a Wild Child and picked up some tips on how to be a better “nature guide” for our kiddos. What I hope to accomplish in the next six months: More of the same! We’ll continue to notch a family adventure in the woods at least once a month, and if restrictions loosen, I’d love to encourage June to get back into more “loose parts” free play with neighborhood friends. I would also LOVE to make more progress on organizing our garage.
Goal no. 2: Be a generous friend Progress I’ve made: I go deep, not wide, with friends, and this goal is to encourage me to go all-in on this strategy. I chose 8 “focal friends” for the year to very intentionally love, delight, and care for, and so far, I feel I’ve really made a difference with four of the eight. I’ve left housewarming and baby gifts on front steps; brought over meals; had lunch dates, dinner dates, and double dates; sent snail mail; had Zoom game nights; and had long catch-up calls. I also read one of my friend’s favorite books of all time so we could discuss it together :) What I hope to accomplish in the next six months: You know those friend dossiers that keep popping up on my monthly goals? I’d really like to finish them :) I hope that will help me get creative with the four relationships that have not seen as much love so far.
Goal no. 3: Grow strong by biking regularly Progress I’ve made: We bought a stationary bike in January, and so far I’ve ridden 6-12 days each month. I love it! I’ve never owned a piece of exercise equipment nor taken a spin class before this (or any exercise class, really), but the short classes (15-20 minutes), the ability to hop on anytime I’d like, and the lack of travel time are a winning combination for me. Of course, in the current climate, we’re especially grateful to have an in-home exercise option! Since March, we’ve also gone for a family bike almost every Saturday morning. Most recently, we’ve added in daily stretching and 5-minute arms classes through the Peloton app – John and I do them together, which has been fun! What I hope to accomplish in the next six months: We haven’t yet registered for an MS ride for later this year, but I hope COVID might still allow us to participate in either New Bern or Reston. I also hope to continue to increase the number of days per month I squeeze in a ride.
Goal no. 4: Read through the Gospels together with John Progress I’ve made: This has been more slow-going than I would like (we’re still at the tail end of Matthew, our first book), but I’ve really enjoyed what we’ve been able to do so far. It’s been awhile since I’ve read through a complete book of the Bible – it’s neat to hear the stories in order. We’re reading the Crossway books of the Bible and using my study Bible for more context as needed! What I hope to accomplish in the next six months: I still have high hopes we’ll finish all four books before the end of the year!
Thanks for always cheering me on, friends! I’d love to hear how your progress on your 2020 goals has gone so far, if you’d like to share. Big or small, it’s worth celebrating!!
