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Currently: August 2016

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San Francisco-style building on the Lower East Side, New York City

I love this building on the Lower East Side – it reminds me of San Francisco!

It’s August! I’m actually really excited for this month – some people I love are celebrating birthdays, the summer excitement is still in the air but the promise of cooler weather is looming, and I have some exciting travels coming up – more exciting than New Jersey and Long Island, I promise. Here’s what I’ve been up to for the last 30 days!

Reading: I finished Americanah this morning, and I loved it, but was super disappointed in the ending. I have a couple “easy” reads lined up next.

Wearing: It’s been too hot and humid lately to wear anything but shorts (or skirts, to the office) and cotton tops.

Buying: Just ice cream, mostly. (See: Way too hot outside. I’ve definitely become a hardened New Yorker!)

Listening to: I recently discovered the Best of Friends podcast and have been listening to old episodes on my commutes, especially when election coverage sends me running from NPR (I love NPR and their coverage, but sometimes you just need some humor in your day!)

Eating: Lots and lots of salads and fruit. I was REALLY proud of this fruit tray I put together for the opening ceremonies!

Watching: Mostly re-watching old shows for the summer (Friends, Grey’s Anatomy, Parks and Rec), and getting SO excited for the Gilmore Girls revival in November!

Planning: My sister is doing most of the planning for this, but I’m going to visit her in Texas NEXT week! And then I’m heading upstate for Labor Day – but again, letting my friends do the planning. I think I wore myself out planning trips earlier in the year!

Excited for: TONS of travel, my best friend’s birthday this week, seeing my sister for the first time in over a year, picnics, my best friend from college visiting in October, etc etc etc

Books read: 25/52

Trips taken: 12/12 – That’s right, I’M FINISHED! But not really. I can’t wait to see how high this number gets before January!

And how is YOUR August going?

World Trade Center, New York City, at sunset

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Currently: July 2016

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New York City skyline at sunset

Blah blah generic apology for being MIA, except I don’t really mean the apology because I have zero regrets. 

Reading: LOL. Still reading Out of Sorts for community group and LOVING it, and otherwise I’m in the middle of about a dozen books because nothing is holding my attention! I read exactly one book in June (I know, you’re all wondering what I’ve been doing with my life), so I really need something to stick SOON. Yesterday I started Eleanor & Park on audiobook and I think it might be the one to get me back into reading!

Wearing: Cotton shorts and a Liberty Church t-shirt because it’s early on a Saturday and I haven’t gotten dressed yet.

Buying: I need more work clothes, particularly tops, so I went to Marshalls yesterday and left with… a navy and white dress because it’s perfect for the Fourth of July. I justified it because it is also work-appropriate, and frankly, this summer is going to be brutal weather-wise. The more dresses the better! I’ll worry about tops in the fall…

In June I also bought a plane ticket from Austin to NYC for August, thus ending my delusions that I could just run away and move in with my sister.

Listening to: I’m fairly hooked on Justin Timberlake’s newest single (but who isn’t), but otherwise haven’t been listening to as much music lately. Podcasts, NPR and audiobooks have my attention for now, which makes me sound way more adult than I feel.

Eating: I just had sweet potatoes and eggs for breakfast, and I imagine this weekend will be filled with holiday-style junk food binges. America!

Watching: I am re-binging Grey’s Anatomy because I like to torture myself, and I’m keeping up with The Mindy Project although I go back and forth on whether I actually like this season. I pretty much gave up on The Bachelorette because it turns out Chad-drama was the only thing keeping me hooked.

Planning: Beach trips! I went out to Long Beach last weekend and it is basically the best ever – there will be three more beach days this month, thus rendering my #Take12Trips challenge a bit of a joke.

Excited for: Beach trips 😉 And other summer adventures! Every weekend this month is already booked up with exciting ways to soak up the sun.

Books read: 22/52- LOL

Trips taken: 9/12 – The only thing keeping me from feeling like a complete failure in June! I went to Philadelphia for a day (more on that soon!), Long Beach, and dinner at a friend’s house in Jersey City.

How last month’s challenge went: Good! I had at least an hour of screen-free time every day. God only knows what I did with it, though.

This month’s challenge: One hour of reading a day. Seriously, I need to read.

And how is YOUR July going?

Currently: June 2016

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Breakneck Ridge, New York

Reading: I just started Out of Sorts by Sarah Bessey for this new season of community groups!

Wearing: I’m in shorts and an old t-shirt from when my high school won the football state championships in 2012. It’s Sunday morning and I haven’t quite got my day started yet!

Buying: I finally picked out prescription sunglasses from Warby Parker, and they should be in the mail this week! That was my only major purchase in May. Looking forward, I’ll be booking flights to Texas this month for August, and I have my eyes on a pair of white Ked-style sneakers for summer.

Listening to: Nothing at the moment! Just the hum of my fan. (Didn’t even have to change that answer from May!)

Eating: I haven’t eaten yet today but I’m planning on chicken teriyaki with rice for lunch, followed by an afternoon of grazing on junk food at church.

Watching: Last night I rented Brooklyn from Amazon, after plowing through the book earlier in the week. I liked it! I was skeptical when it felt like it was 75% of the way through the book plot in the first half hour, but it all came together and it was definitely fun to see the words come to life.

Planning: Not much big stuff – little summer adventures here and there, and a potential weekend trip to DC (my DC friends were going to come here, but they just got a puppy!)

Excited for: All of the summer adventures! A big group is heading to the Yankee game tomorrow, and in general I’m excited for rooftop bars and picnics  and loooooong days.

Hoping: A lot of my hopes lately have come true (!) and I’m finding it hard to think of ways for life to be any better!

Books read: 21/52- ON TRACK

Trips taken: 6/12 – Thanks to a little getaway this month for reminding me of the spirit of this challenge, which is having adventures even if I only have a day to spare!

How last month’s challenge went: Horrifically bad.

This month’s challenge: One hour of screen-free time every day. So far so good!

And how is YOUR June going?

Currently: May 2016

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View of the Empire State Building from Fifth Avenue

It’s been a very New York month

Reading: I’m partway through Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson (my first of his books, believe it or not!) I also went on a bit of an ebook-buying spree this week so I have lots of options for the month ahead!

Wearing: Pink sweatpants, pink sweatshirt, polkadot fuzzy socks. Cute, I know. It’s Saturday and I’m in full-on lazy mode.

Buying: I made it through April without any major purchases – sometimes I just need to remind myself that it IS possible to live in this city and save money at the same time. In May I’m looking to buy prescription sunglasses (Warby Parker here I come!) and plane tickets to Texas for the end of summer!

Listening to: Nothing at the moment! Just the hum of my fan.

Eating: I cooked a big breakfast this morning of spicy jalapeno chicken sausage, fried eggs and cinnamon toast. Usually I’m up super early and don’t have the energy for anything fancier than cereal, so I like to take advantage of the weekends!

Watching: Look out for a post later in the month about my current favorite shows because the list is finally growing! Most recently, I watched the season finale of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and my current binges of choice are Happy Endings and Gilmore Girls (which I’ve seen in full multiple times, but I can’t resist the media frenzy surrounding the revival!) 

Planning: I’m hoping to make a solo trip to Philadelphia happen this month, or early June at the latest. I can’t believe I’ve never been! I also have an exciting day trip in the works for a couple weekends from now, but I’m leaving my friends in charge of the actual planning for that one.

Excited for: There is SO MUCH happening this month! Team bonding sessions and engagement parties and more friends moving to Crown Heights. Still just loving spring in New York City!

Hoping: for continued good weather – last week felt a little too much like winter for my liking, but today seems to be sunny and warm! (I’ll fully admit to not having been outside yet).

Books read: 16/52, just one behind! I’m so excited this is going well

Trips taken: 5/12 – I didn’t leave NYC in April, but that was intentional, and I’m still ahead on this goal!

How last month’s challenge went: I ate a vegetable every day in April except one, but I had a migraine and didn’t eat anything at all, so I’m calling it a win! I even crave vegetables now sometimes, and have expanded my horizons to include things like broccoli. Yay!

This month’s challenge: Reading my Bible every day. I KNOW I KNOW. I should be doing this automatically. But I’m not, so let’s try to fix it.

And how is YOUR May going?

Currently: April 2016

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I’m coming at you live from NEW YORK CITY this month – the first extra-long weekend this year I’ve not spent travelling. I’m very much looking forward to spending the entirety of my favorite month in my favorite city, and I have so many adventures planned already. Stay tuned!

Reading: After plowing through SIX books in March (more on those soon!), I’m currently struggling to get into my next read – I’m one chapter in to several different books, hoping to find one that sticks. We’ll see!

Wearing: As much orange as possible, because it’s currently Saturday evening and Syracuse is playing in the Final Four tonight! My best friend went to Syracuse and we’re off to a ‘cuse bar in the city tonight to watch the action.

Buying: As little as possible, because March got a little out of control.

Listening to: Nothing! I know, I’m so boring this month!

Eating: I just downed a Shake Shack burger and half a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, so real healthy stuff.

Watching: I spent last night, the first of April, catching up on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and then, since I missed television so much during my March break, I watched the first few episodes of Happy Endings. I may have found my next binge!

Planning: So many springtime excursions for April! Botanic gardens, birthday festivities, brunches and ice cream shops and Smorgasburg (it’s baaaaack!)

Excited for: This entire month, if you couldn’t tell.

Hoping: That Syracuse wins tonight! I didn’t go to a basketball school, so it’s really fun to have a team to root for.

Books read: 13/52

Trips taken: 5/12

This month’s challenge: Eat a serving of vegetables every day. I roasted a bunch of veggies yesterday that I ate for dinner last night, and then for… breakfast today, so I wouldn’t have to think about it and scramble for a carrot or something at 11 p.m. Nailed it!

And how is YOUR April going?