JULY GOALS

Where is the summer going? I can't decide if I feel like I have done a lot or nothing at all. There is still so much that I want to do. At the beginning of summer it feels like you have time to do everything. But before you know it is winding down and people start using words like syllabus and welcome week again. Ew. 

So this month, I have decided to make some concrete goals, and maybe if I share them I will be more likely to accomplish them. Who knows? It's worth a try. 

//ONE// Blog 2-3 times a week. I haven't been great at this lately. During the school year it was nearly impossible to find the time to sit down and actually blog. Most of my posts were re-posts from my Her Campus articles, and I felt awful about it. I wanted to create more posts just for the blog, but I definitely over-committed myself last semester. 

//TWO// Actually open the case to my guitar. I have wanted to learn the guitar for ten years now, and I have yet to put in the effort to actually learn, even though I have a guitar. So my goal for this month is to actually take it out of the case and put some work into learning how to play it. 

//THREE// Learn more about HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. I love coding websites. As nerdy as it sounds, it's true. I probably won't try to learn anything more complicated than JavaScript. I know some HTML/CSS, but I keep telling myself I am going to learn Java. There's no time like the present, right?

//FOUR// Read for 30 minutes a day. This is something I have wanted to do forever. I read a lot--but mostly from a screen. My goal is to finally make it through some of my books. I just got Aziz Ansari's book, Modern Romance, and it is already helping with this goal. It's so good. 

//FIVE// Keep my curls at least 3 days of the week. Taming my curls is nearly impossible. I find it hard to wear my hair naturally usually, because I just can't get the curls I want. Especially with the humidity, my hair gets large and frizzy, and sometimes I can't help but straighten it. 

//SIX// Exercise 3-4 times a week. Admittedly, I haven't been working out as much as I want to this summer. I was so good about it at the end of the school year, but I definitely need to get back into making it a part of my routine. 

//SEVEN// Try something new every week. I think summer is the perfect time to try out new things. One of the things I really want to try out it kayaking. Hopefully I can make that happen this month. 

//EIGHT// Take more pictures. As I have been trying to find more images for the blog, I realized that I haven't been taking that many pictures lately. I plan to take my camera with me more often so that I will force myself to take more pictures. 

//NINE// Eat more veggies. I love fruit. I could eat berries all day long, because they taste like candy. The thing is they are like nature's candy, because they are sugary. So I have been trying to be conscious about incorporate more veggies into my diet, too. Any suggestions about how you do this? 

//TEN// Comment on other blogs more often. One of the ways that I love to get inspiration is by reading other blogs. There is so much to learn from other bloggers, but I want to focus on commenting more. I know how much it means to me to receive comments, and I want to return the favor!

What are your goals for July?

CURRENTLY // JUNE '15

Listening to // "I Need Your Love" by Shaggy. I heard this song on the radio the other day and instantly loved it. The lyrics are pretty simple--it says "I need your love" a million times. It's a good one, though. 

Shopping for// I have been focusing on eating more fruits and vegetables lately, so I was excited when my mom wanted to go to the Farmers Market when I got home. My little sister loves her fruits and vegetables, but I think she was most excited over the cheese samples. As soon as we got there she announced that she wanted the cheese you could eat with toothpicks. 

Watching // "Parks and Rec." I love Amy Poehler. She is one of my idols, and I have been meaning to watch it for the longest time. Hopefully I will be able to watch the whole series this summer.

Following // Shaylen Carroll on Vine. Wow her voice is great. I don't go on Vine that often, but when I do I am always so impressed. One of my favorites on Vine is "Us the Duo." I saw them for the first time last summer when they opened for Eric Hutchison during a short concert for Oake on the Water.

Working on // Learning calligraphy. I have wanted to learn this forever. I plan on spending some time practicing this summer.

Playing //  Lately I have been trying to get better at volley ball, because a lot of my friends seem to be pretty good at it. Last week my friend Jessie and I sat on the sidelines and colored, because we were too tired to play. We made signs cheering on the teams with names like "Glitz and Glamor" and "Why Do You Like Fishsticks?" It was a good time. 

Reading // "Screenwriting Tips, You Hack." I have been trying to get through this book for a while now. I really enjoy reading it, but I feel like I need to dedicate more time to actually practice the things I am reading.

Writing // I keep telling myself that I am going to practice screenwriting. My goal by the end of the summer is to be doing it a few times a week. For now, I am trying to get some posts out and practicing when I can.

Catching up on // My sleep schedule has been turned upside down by work. One day I will sleep four-five hours and the next day I will sleep for ten hours. Thankfully work is settling down, so hopefully I will be able to establish a better sleep schedule.

What have you been up to lately?

Currently

What's new in the Life in the Lost and Found Bin?

Week one of sophomore year. Check. 

Loss of time management skills. Check. 

Updating Life in the Lost and Found Bin. Oops.

Today I am linking up over at A Mama Collective. I was actually inspired to do so after reading Jessica's "Collective" recently on Seeking Individuality. 

 
Thinking About// What I want to do with the rest of my life. The beginning of a new semester is always interesting. You meet new people, which leads to awkward small talk--which, in turn, leads to "so what's your major?" As I am undecided, answering this question is always interesting. Sometimes I say something like, "I want to do communication arts--the Film, TV, Radio track, and possibly double that with Strategic Communications through the Journalism school." For classmates who understand the majors better I might say, "Comm arts and strat comm through the J-School"--because short lingo is always way more fun. But more often than not, I simply reply "I am studying film and advertising." It is a a concise and understandable version of what I am considering the most. As I live a Life in the Lost and Found Bin, I don't have it all figured out. But it is nice to have ideas about what I am most passionate about.

Excited For// This weekend I am going home for a friend's wedding. I cannot believe one of my friends from high school is already getting married, but I am so happy for her, and I cannot wait to see her walking down the aisle. It will also be nice to be home for a weekend, even if it is a little earlier in the semester than I anticipated.

Reading// Class readings. So many class readings. My classes this semester all involve a large chunk of reading. It is obvious I won't be doing to much reading-for-pleasure this semester. The other downside of this semester is I have a lot of course-required writing, which that leaves less time for writing things like blog posts and short stories. My goal is to keep up reading a few blogs every day, and writing a post at least twice a week. Cross-my-fingers it works out.

Watching// I have been attempting to keep up with the end of my favorite reality show, Big Brother. Given that I spend most of my time reading and doing homework now, there is not much extra time to watch TV. When I have watched anything, it has been mostly for social enjoyment. After the football game on Saturday, my roommates and I came back and crashed on the couch to watch She's the Man. The only thing that might have been funnier than Amanda Byne's at her best was one of my roommates constantly complaining about how unrealistic it was. We had to keep reminding her many movies are not known for their realism, as they are often imaginary events.

Listening to// "One Night Town" by Ingrid Michaelson feat. Mat Kearney. This song made my summer a little cheerier. A good friend told me he swoons every time Ingrid sings, "Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh." These two are some of my favorite. I have even seen Ingrid and Mat at two different Basilica Block Parties. In my opinion, the singer-songwriter genre of this decade culminates in this uplifting duet.

 

What have you been up to lately?