. . . because just because the month looks different than I expected, there is no reason to just throw it out the window.
(One helpful reframe I have is that I’m shoring up resources for future fun, both monetary + paid leave. I know it can be dangerous to defer gratification indefinitely, but somehow this helps me in the moment. 2027 is going to be EPIC.)
PERSONAL
- Go to all 8 Pilates sessions. As you will learn in an upcoming monthly recap, I did not make the most of my Pilates membership last month (I get 8 sessions). This month I’m aiming for 8/8 — one weekend session and one 6 AM weekday session. I really do enjoy it but last month was just . . . well, you know.
- Average 50 pages of reading a day!! Kind of crazy but I’m going to see what I do with a page goal.
- Make a baked good each week, starting with this. I think I’ll do it on Saturday morning so we can have a fun family breakfast.
- Master 3 Bach 2-part inventions. “Master” to me means play at reasonable tempo with no mistakes fairly reliably. I’m pretty much there with the one, halfway there with another, and I need to pick a third. I’m revisiting pieces I played as a kid, so it’s not as hard as learning from scratch would be (kind of INSANE that your fingers remember movement patterns from over 30 years ago . . .)
FAMILY / RELATIONSHIPS
- Figure out how to do a date night. Either a low key restaurant situation once Josh is ready to leave the house, or some sort of at-home situation. Not until he’s more comfortable but hoping that day will come soon.
- Take G to Poppet Project. It’s super far and expensive but I promised her. Fine. Bonus if I can get my Miami Beach friend to me us there with her youngest.
- Watch 3 movies with Josh. Taking you guys up on this suggestion! This will be a fun challenge.
- Work on Duke Med School reunion project. This isn’t totally “family” per se but . . . I got drafted for family reasons so I’m including it here. It’s our 25th med school reunion this fall (and Josh’s dad’s 50th!) so we are in charge of trying to get people from our class to come and need to work on this project together. (Long shot but if anyone applicable reads this . . . EMAIL ME! AND COME!)
WORK
- Finish workbook revisions for 2027 courses. Yep, it’s already time!
- Pitch podcasts for fall appearances. Just make yourself do it, seriously. It’s not THAT HARD.
- Weekly inbox zero (aiming for Wednesdays)
HOME
- Organize G & C rooms! In the past I have conquered this task in one day. I have . . . a lot of days at home. This should be doable. I would LOVE to do it. If I can’t get this done on my own I will have our Konmari-oragnizer come help me in August. (I think the kids would maybe do better just with me, but if we can’t accomplish it then I now know to bring in the pro!)
- Schedule next Kon-Mari session. Have nothing on the books and need to do this.
- Get into better grocery rhythm. I’ve been outsourcing this randomly at times and as a result we don’t always have the groceries I would pick. I want to get back into a regular rhythm with weekly TJs trips and Publix mini-supplements (mostly to buy BOGOs). I honestly ENJOY going to TJs especially when I can go on the early side and it’s not too crazy.
FUN
I struggled with this category, I have to admit. But I dug deep and came up with:
- Book a massage. So I have a Massage Envy membership and I’ve been letting the credits accumulate because I haven’t felt there was time to go! AHH! Thankfully they don’t expire.
- Take kids to Freddo. (New Argentinean gelato place near us that had AMAZING key lime pie gelato the last time we went)
- See one movie in theaters or show. Kids and I are planning Toy Story 5 and I would totally still see Devil Wears Prada 2 if it’s still out anywhere.
- More fun journaling + USE your supplies.
METAPLANNING (ie: planning tasks to work on this month to help with FUTURE fun . . .)
- Rebook PHL. I still want to go. Just need to pick time and decide which if any kids will come with.
- Tentatively plan spring break 2027. We were thinking Costa Rica but now the kids want Europe (since Europe over summer won’t happen) and I’m thinking UK.
- Podcast retreat next March. Laura and I typically meet up to record / talk about pod stuff yearly in the spring and I told her we should go somewhere awesome this time. (Suggestions welcome).
5 Comments
If you hated the cool rainy weather on your New Hampshire and Miraval Berkshire trips (or your kids did), I’d recommend someplace like Rome/Florence over the UK for spring break.
I know our tastes diverge on many things, but seriously: see The Sheep Detectives with your kids. AI Review: “It is widely described by critics and audiences as Babe meets Knives Out, bringing the same talking-animal charm of Babe but pivoting to a cozy mystery setting.” It is still playing in theaters around Miami.
Not so much for a date with Josh, more like a daily activity. But could you rent him a wheelchair with an elevated foot rest and take him for walks around your neighborhood (maybe in the early morning bc it is hot)? Apparently it’s not hard to do this. He might enjoy getting out of the house.
Today I am (drumroll) organizing the linen closet. It’s been a few years, but I am really looking forward to it. I might even buy some new sheets. 🙂
oh no I didn’t end up hating it at all!!!! Honestly it was refreshing! (I mean heavy rains would have been not ideal but both times it was more cloudy and overcast and not hot). I have this long Italy/Switzerland combo trip dream in my head that I don’t want to squeeze into one week though Rome/Tuscany could be awesome too.
And I def will go for Sheep Detectives – they want TS5 but I think have plenty of space for 2+ movies . . .
We don’t have a wheelchair (!) -he’s using a rolling walker and eventually crutches. (Obviously we could get one, though)
And hooray for new sheets!!!
Was just going to echo SESB and suggest Rome as well for spring break! And you’d get to skip the horrible summer crowds and heat waves if you go that time of year. Although I can see if you wanted to combine Italy and Switzerland then spring break would not be ideal for that. I think Spain would also be a fun spring break destination. But if you don’t mind chilly/rainy and your kids like city travel, London would be fun too–just not sure the more rural parts of England would be as fun in spring. But also perhaps I’m not the most educated about the rest of England!
I agree Costa Rica and Hawaii within a few months of each other are maybe too similar and should be spread out more–I really think you guys will love CR when you go eventually though!
UK would be a fun place to go in the spring and I feel like it’s a great destination with kids since there is so much to do/see that would hopefully be of interest to them!
My July goals are to get to the pool once/weekend when we are home to make the most of the $130/person pool passes I bought for the boys and me. We’ve already gone 3 times and we need to go 8-9 times to make it worth the $$. I think we’ll easily get to 9. I’d like to try going on a hot weeknight and have the kids change into pjs, which is what we do when they go to swimming lessons on a week night. Beyond that, I have most of my OTF classes booked for the month. I’m failing to fit any CG strength workouts in, but I am letting that goal kind of go since I’m doing so much OTF which includes strength.
We had a great London trip last spring and the breakfast buffet at Hilton Bankside was PHENOMENAL. Plus they do adjoining rooms so there was parent/kid separation with a connecting door.
Thanks for the shout out to one of my favorite parts of being a memory researcher – watching other people experience the joy of the declarative/procedural split. I’m so glad you are experiencing the perks of durable procedural memories with the piano.