One of my biggest bucket-list items is to really get my blog
off the ground, to find a “purpose” for it, a niche in which it belongs and
really go for it. That being said in doing some blog-searching I came across
Learning By Hart. While our blogs are very
different, as are our careers, I couldn’t help but read through it. She too, is
a working mom trying to find the balance between her career, her family and the
things that make her happy. I spent over and hour reading through her blog
posts and finding that we have a lot in common. One post that jumped out to me
was her Summer Bucket-List – it is
the inspiration for my own list. She narrowed it down to 10 very manageable
things that are easily accomplished during her time off from teaching. It
inspired me to look at my own list and really focus on the things that are
actually attainable in my already very busy life.
So here they are – my Top Eleven Summer Bucket-List Items
(in no particular order)
11. BLOG – see above! J
10. STUDY – yes you read that right. I recently received my
study materials for my ACE Personal Trainer Certification. I only have six
months to study and take the exam. There are 18 chapters in my textbook, along
with online materials and practice tests. If I break it down into months, I
need to read three chapters a month – totally doable!
9. MOVE – my husband and I are just two weeks away from
closing on our new home (barring anything crazy happening) and we couldn’t be
more excited! We have been living with my parents since November and while we
are enjoying our time there we are ready to have our own space again. We’ve
begun to look at flooring and paint options and are looking forward to making
the house our own!
8. TRAVEL – this is the first summer in almost 6 years that
my husband has had weekends off so we are hoping to do a few weekend getaways
over the next couple months. My grandmother lives on the Cape during the summer
so our first priority is to take the CapeFlyer down to visit her. I really want
to be able to create some of our own family memories this summer.
7. EXERCISE EVERY DAY – while this may seem like a big
commitment I don’t mean “go to the gym” every day, it can be anything from lifting to running to
walking to taking a Barre class. I recently purchased a FitBit and have become
obsessed with tracking my steps. I walk every day at lunch as long as the
weather is nice and Lucas and I walk at night after I pick him up from school.
I think it’s hugely important to move your body in an active way as often as
possible, not only for your physical health but your mental health as well.
6. HAVE DATE NIGHTS – I am the first to admit that since
Lucas was born I have been reluctant to leave him even for a night out with my
husband. Time goes by so fast and since we work full time we find that we both want to be with him as much as
possible, but we also know we can’t forget about each other. We have a wedding
coming up next week and it will be the first time we are really away from the baby for longer than a few
hours – I’m looking forward to getting dressed up and dancing with my husband
again!
5. UNPLUG – Facebook, Instagram, Blogging, Twitter … yes, I’m
obsessed with social media – my husband calls me a “social media whore”. While
I enjoy staying in touch with people, updating my blog and Facebook it’s also
really important to unplug and be 100% in the moment with friends and family. When
Lucas was first born we had an agreement that once we were home phones and iPad
were put away and we spent that time together, but slowly as many do we found
ourselves hooked right back up. So many nights we’ll be watching a movie and
one (or both) of us will be on our phone looking at something online not paying
any attention. We need to recommit to unplugging at night and really enjoy our
time together.
4. EXPERIENCE LIFE THROUGH LUCAS’ EYES – I don’t want our
little boy cooped up this summer. Regardless of the fact that he’s only 9
months and isn’t walking/running/playing yet I really want him to start
experiencing the world. I want to take him to the beach and see his reaction
when he touches the cold Atlantic for the first time, I want him to see
fireworks this 4th of July, listen to the katydids at night, crawl
on the grass, get dirty, swing on the swing-set his father, grandfather and
uncle built … just be a kid!
3. RECONNECT WITH FRIENDS (OLD & NEW) – it’s so easy
these days to get wrapped up in our personal lives and busy schedules that we
lose track of friendships. It’s almost like being selfish is the norm. I want
to make a point to actually talk to
my friends, not text/email/Facebook; have coffee and walking dates, spend time
reconnecting over the things we love. I have amazing groups of friends in my life
that I’ve met through different channels and I don’t want to lose sight of them
or their importance in my life!
2. READ – I used to be an avid reader. I can get through a
book in just a few days. But I can’t even tell you the name of the last book I
read. I want to find a good long novel that I can just get lost in. One that I
can relax with in a lounge chair while Lucas is napping, one that I never want
to see end! (suggestions?)
1. LOVE THE LIFE I LIVE – this one
is HUGE for me. As someone that is always
on the go, I’ve been known to focus more on “the next thing” rather than what’s
right in front of me. Living life that way allows important things, events and
people to pass you by without fully appreciating them. I need to learn to take
a step back and love every moment of the life I have. Between my job, my
incredible husband, my adorable son, my family & friends – what’s not to
love? Instead of wanting something more or wishing for something different I am
going to focus on the here and now. As Ferris Bueller says “Life moves pretty
fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
There they are … my Eleven
Bucket-List items for the summer. It’s a big list and I know with the move it’ll
be a challenge to get it all in but I’m determined. I hope you’ll follow me here,
on Facebook and Instagram as I photograph and blog my way through my summer!
Happy Friday Bloggers!
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