We spent the weekend at the Keys! We met up with friends and stayed at Hawk’s Cay, about ~2.5 hours south of where we live. (No affiliation with them whatsoever, but we’ve had two nice stays now. I will say it’s definitely farther from Islamorada but pretty much the same . . . we also like The Islander).
This was our second visit here; the last one was in 2021 and impacted by COVID-related stress. I definitely think this round was much more relaxing!
The fact that the kids slept in every morning (other than C when he left early with J to go fishing!) didn’t hurt matters either.
I got a lot of rest and spent some time finalizing Q4 goals. YES, Q4 is already underway. But what can I say: August was A LOT.
(WE HAVE 2 CARS THAT DRIVE NOW! The CR-V is SUPER CUTE!)
Almost all of the guys (3 kids / 2 adults) went fishing; my friend’s 4 year old stayed back to hang with A, G, my friend R, and me at the pool. We rented a charter and the crew was reportedly awesome and helped the kids catch multiple fish.
We brought home ~4 lb of frozen fish, so that is kind of exciting.
Yesterday was a little bit rough (a lot of traffic on the way home) but the break felt really good.
On Sunday morning (during the early fishing hours), I sat with my planner, a notebook, and finalized my goals for the season. I also started a revised 100 dreams list (100% copied off of Laura who mentioned redoing hers).
PERSONAL:
1- Really delve into fall reading! Try for at least 50 pages of fiction most days. Always have 2-3 titles “up next” and abandon anything that doesn’t feel worth it.
2- Aim for 20g protein in breakfast and lunch as a general rule (dinner happens kind of automatically, but the other meals . . . I have to be strategic)
3- Time track for 2 weeks. I started today. I am never good at this!
4- Use all 8 Club Pilates sessions in Sept & Oct. I think by October I will ask if I can try some 1.5 classes (I have not wanted to ask but am definitely ready for more resistance than what most of the 1.0 classes recommend).
5- Remain at REDDIT 0. Going strong!
FAMILY / RELATIONSHIPS:
1- Really focus on cultivating functional school routines (morning / after school / bedtime). With an emphasis on kids being independent where appropriate.
2- See 1-2 movies in the theater with kids. This is our worst weather season. Movies are a good call.
3- Schedule 2 date nights/month. I got lazy about this because we no longer really need a babysitter (so I . . . stopped planning).
4- Establish homework check in practices for kids
5- Start booking Montana (Yellowstone, etc). We already have our lodging set but this trip always sneaks up on me!
HOME:
1- Create short list of organizing projects and put them directly in planner. BOOKS AND RANDOM CRAP IN MY CLOSET, I am coming after you.
2- Make some baked goods for Monday. AAAND it’s almost pumpkin time so some of these will involve fall flavors.
3- Do ProjectionLab with Josh (retirement planning stuff)
4- Sign up for one credit card and get sign up bonus. Maybe an AMEX, I have never had one and the 4% rewards are rather tempting.
CREATIVE:
1- Finish BLP Live prep! (All swag, order printed workbooks, A/V stuff, presentations)
2- Launch other 2026 programs (BLP at Home, Planning by Season)
3- Stay ahead of recording schedule to extent possible
4- Send out ARCs, start pitching podcasts for fall pre-book launch, solidify audio recording dates for October!
14 Comments
Logistics question when you leave kids at home without a sitter – we’re just approaching this territory (oldest is 9) – what do you do about a phone in case they need to get in touch with you? Do they/have they had phones? We don’t have a land line or intention to get a phone for our kids for many years, so sorting through how this might work as we start to consider short stints at home.
We got a cell phone when my oldest was 10 that was not taken outside of the house or used for any purpose other than calling/texting parents. I liked having it even when they had a babysitter. That being said my kids are pretty indifferent to phones and I didn’t have any issues with them wanting to do extra things on it.
Annabel is 13 and has a phone.
Cameron is 11 and just getting one now (mostly for orchestrating school sports pickups which vary in location somewhat).
We don’t really leave them home for any significant length of time unless A is there though.
We got our kids a flip phone at about this age for this purpose. Now, our oldest (13) has a gabb phone so he’ll use that and our daughter (11) will use the flip phone. We keep it at the house so it functions more like a land line.
We just got a landline through Ooma and my kids LOVE it! Not expensive and bought at Best Buy. We now feel comfortable with leaving our almost 9 yr old home alone during the day when needed, and both kids love to call grandparents with it
I like these options! We gifted my child a Gizmo (Verizon, but parents can have separate carrier) watch when he turned 10 so he could stay home alone for short periods. We have it set so he can only call and text us. We don’t have him take it to school, but it’s great for sleepovers, dropping him at bday parties, etc.
Similar to Beth, we got a cheap prepaid cell that is plugged into an outlet in the kitchen and does not move. We call it our landline 😉
I started to track my macros to get a better sense of how much protein I’m eating. I don’t love tracking but it’s the most effective way to figure out where I can/should make adjustments. I switched up my breakfast and have oatmeal w/ protein powder which gives me a lot of protein!
I’m envious of your lack of a need for a babysitter! I know we’ll get there eventually, although if the kids continue to mess with each other as much as they currently do, our timeline for not needing a sitter is probably longer than yours. I hate to generalize, but I think your boy/girl ratio is beneficial for not needing a babysitter!
Abandoning will really help your reading! I abandoned 3 books in the final week of August! I have gotten better at ditching books if they aren’t working for me. I wish I could have abandoned my Sept book club but it was my selection!! So I skimmed to get through it. It was just too academic/boring for me!
Ah, this sounds so nice! I also need to sit down and think about Q4, but my view won’t be quite as inspirational… most likely it will be the inside of a Starbucks.
I do the same thing with protein- aim for 20 grams in breakfast and lunch. It’s easy to not hit that mark if I don’t focus on it.
Fall reading! My summer reading was amazing… I need a new vibe for fall though.
I love working in Sbux though!!!!
Okay, I know no one asked, but I literally just figured out my perfect breakfast after making lots of tweaks over time and I have to shout it from the mountaintops.
This part I make ahead.
On Sunday I make a pot of oatmeal that I make with ½ cup regular oats, ½ cup steel cut oats cooked in 1.5 cup milk, 1.5 cup water and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Once that’s ready, I prep 4 breakfast servings.
For each serving I have:
– half a cup of (unsweetened) oatmeal, included for the carbs, in just the right amount to provide the energy boost carbs provide without spiking my blood sugar and causing an energy crash. Also adds fiber, and the spices contribute to the flavor. It also gives me the chewy texture I need for my breakfast to be emotionally satisfying (if that makes any sense).
– 170g plain Siggi’s skyr, which yes, I do measure to make sure I’m getting the desired amount of protein.
– 1 tbsp chia seeds, for the fat and fiber.
– Collagen protein, for the vanity related purposes that collagen protein in particular is supposed to offer, and because I want to make sure the protein to carb ratio stays high. I’ve learned that I really need a high protein, moderate carb breakfast to stay energized, full/satiated, and to not set me off on a blood sugar roller coaster during the day. But given the other protein in the meal, I do half a serving to stretch the collagen further (it’s so expensive!).
– 1 scoop Creatine, to support my weight training. Including it in my premade breakfast means I definitely get it in at least a few days of the week. Otherwise I completely forget to take it.
– Pysllium husk, for the fiber. Mixes in and is unnoticeable, which is not the case when I add it to drinks.
I add the dry ingredients to single serve snapware containers, mix in the oatmeal and yogurt until everything is fully incorporated and then I put them in the fridge for the week.
The morning of I add:
– ¼ cup Grandy Organics Coconola granola. For the texture, and the tiny amount of sweetness that it gives the meal. Coconola is a grain/gluten free granola that’s meets the carb and sugar targets my nutritionist set for me.
– Berries, usually frozen, usually blueberries, but not always on both counts. For the sweetness it adds, and to get a serving or two of fruit in with breakfast.
I legitimately love this breakfast, and it’s an added bonus that this combo means I make good progress to my big nutritional targets early in the day. It sets me up to have steady blood sugar, which makes me feel great and helps me to make better food choices all day long. It takes minimal time and energy to prep, it holds up great in the fridge. I can eat it at home if there’s time/I’m working from home, or I can grab it and go in the morning and eat it at work if I’m running late.
This sounds delicious! My go-to is 170g Fage, chia / flax seeds / frozen cherries, plus chocolate protein powder and creatine in coffee to create a mocha effect. I want to try this next!
that sounds awesome!!!!! I would absolutely try this. And the efficiency of pre-prepping it all at once sounds amazing, too.
Oooh I’m in the protein game too. Oikos Pro has changed my breakfast game and I have them as a snack sometimes if I’m below my protein goal.