August Goals and Highlights

Is it really August? If you told me it's still May I would believe you- when people say that time is a construct I think that this is exactly what they mean. While the days go by and the sun rises and sets, it doesn't actually feel like any time is changing. And those are my Monday morning thoughts 😅

As far as my highlights of July - it felt like a month where nothing really happened. I found myself struggling more than usual - it seems like in most places (including Pittsburgh) cases of Covid are getting worse and worse, yet I see friends and people going out and traveling like this is just another year. As a rule follower, this is something that's really been upsetting me...I feel like the kid waiting for recess and all my classmates keep acting up and we have to stay inside. 

But- I did have one day where Dan and I went kayaking and then biked to two different outdoor breweries. That was a day that I could relax, enjoy the weather, and just be...in a socially responsible way.  Now, lets see how I did on my July goals!

Paint Baseboards

Finished this in all areas except my office (mostly because the furniture in there is so hard to move and I've been lazy). Of course I couldn't just stop at painting the baseboards and ended up doing about a hundred other projects- you can check out what I've done so far here and check back for the big projects I'm working on very soon - see below for more details!

Watercolor Outside

I did technically do this- I took my watercolors outside on our deck to paint a few times. I even brought my paints with me on a kayak ride but didn't end up taking them out. Definitely want to do this more and go outside of my own yard to paint- particularly when it gets cooler out and I'm not sweating all over the place.

Take a Daytrip Hike

Done! We took a trip to Friendship Hill National Historic Site which has some gorgeous trails and a neat visitor's center / historic home. We also stopped at a nearby brewery pop up and it almost felt like a normal weekend.

SUP or Kayak 4 times

Did this a ton in July! I found that the best way to make this a habit was to get our car ready the night before and going first thing in the morning - this way the lake by our house was empty and it was just the best way to start our day. We also took a trip to the rivers and it was awesome!

Run 20 miles/Week

Did not hit this goal every week, but I did for half of the month. July was just one of those months were some weeks I had all the motivation to run, and other times I couldn't get out the door. Win some and lose some :-/

Now let's get to my goals for August-

German Lessons

For the past few weeks I've been taking German lessons (through the Coffee Break podcast and a workbook). I've already learned so much but my goal for this month is to take one class every week day, then give my brain a break on the weekends.

Finish Two Art Projects

I love to work on art, but have a habit of starting a project and not finishing it. This month I want to start and finish two pieces (hopefully including one of those outdoor watercolor projects).

Bathroom and Kitchen Remodels

These will be my big projects for the month. Please note that I'm not doing any huge changes- these are all cosmetic since I don't want to spend a ton of money or have someone come in for work. I'm excited to share how small changes can make a big impact and also learning some new skills. See above for a sneak peak for the kitchen...

Try Every Peloton Instructor

I always have to include something active in my monthly goals, and this month I decided to try out every Peloton instructor. There are a total of 33 current instructors if my math is correct, so this will be a challenge.

How was your July?

What are your goals for this month?