I did it! I got all of the blog posts done that I wanted to do for documenting last summer before we left for this summer's vacation. It wasn't easy, but I'm glad I got them done! I feel much more caught up now. I have definitely earned my much-needed break from blogging for the rest of the summer!
I'm out of creative juice and I really need to go work on packing and on getting through a long, not fun to do list before we leave to go East in the morning, so quickly, here's my "fun" to do list for this summer:
- Read lots of books. Read, read, read! Read on the beach, read in bed, read on a couch, in a chair, anywhere! (I'm channeling my inner Dr. Suess here. Ha!) I haven't been doing enough reading for fun over the last few busy months, and I want to make up for that this summer.
- Try stand-up paddleboarding, which I think I'll really like because I love canoeing and this is basically canoeing, only you're standing up. On a board. Right? As long as I can maintain my balance and my abs and arms don't give out on me too quickly, I think I'll love it! This was on last summer's list and it didn't happen. This summer, it will!
Quit Facebook and Instagram for the summer. Part of me really wants to do this, but part of me doesn't, and the latter part is going to win. But I'm planning on curtailing my use of social media during the summer and trying not to be on it and on my phone too much. But it sure is a lifesaver and boredom buster on our long road trips!
- Get my hair cut short. I should put a check-mark next to this one because it's already done! I got it cut a few days ago, and I love it. I should have gotten it cut shorter years ago when it all broke off and died in the case of the deadly highlights. I really like the cut. It looks cute and it fits my hair type well. It's not super-short (I can still pull it back if I want) but it's shorter than I've had it in a very long time. I'm now one of those "short hair, don't care" girls. It's the right group for me to be in!
- (I can't get rid of this bullet point no matter what I do. Aargh!)
- Do morning yoga on the beach. At least a few times.
- Take some good sunset pictures over the ocean. Or more importantly, see a good sunset over the ocean. Ideally, both.
- Finally take the boys on this pirate ship ride out of Hyannisport that I've been meaning to take them on for years:
- Be super good about sunscreen and skin protection. Sam and I got painful sunburns in the Bahamas in March, and I'm determined to not let that happen again. Skin cancer scares me a lot. Sunblock is going to be one of our best and most-used friends this summer. And I'm even going to wear a hat when I'm at the beach, and I hate hats on me, but I'm going to do it! My thin-haired blond head is like a magnet for the sun's rays to penetrate deep. I got a good hat today that will make it easier for me to follow through with this. If I end the summer with my skin being its usual pale color or only slightly more tan, than I will have been victorious.
- Pamper my feet. After years of treatment, the plantar warts on the soles of my feet that I got in college are finally gone. This summer, I'm going to exfoliate and moisturize my feet regularly and help them to be their prettiest. I'm also going to use my new Jamberry nail wraps on them. My feet are in for quite the treat this summer!
- Color for fun. I used to love coloring. It was one of the few artistic things I was good at, and it's becoming popular for adults to color as a stress-reliever and as an easy creative outlet. I bought a set of colored pencils and crayons and this Secret Garden coloring book (currently a #1 best-seller on amazon) that I intend to fill with color this summer.
- Try not to mourn the fact that I'm going to age out of the 18-34 Millenial age group this summer. (I refuse to bold this sentence.) How is this happening?!
- (Another stubborn bullet point that won't disappear no matter what I do. Dang it! I don't have time for this. Oh well, it's going to get its way.)
- Experience more. Swim in the ocean and the lake frequently instead of just watching the kids do it. Get my head wet. I love swimming but I hate getting my head wet (mostly because of my contacts and my hair) and I've been missing out because of it. Take fewer pictures and play instead. Keep my hands free--of a camera, a phone, etc. Connect better with others, with myself, with nature, with God.
If I get even half of these things done, than the summer will have been a success. But I'm aiming to do them all!
I hope you have a great summer!
See you in around two months!
