June 2026 // A List

1. June...June was absolutely not what I expected.

2. I spent way too much time sending emails and resolving what seemed to be a never-ending issue. I don't think I've ever spent so much time sending emails in June as I did this year.

3. There's a frog that we hear at night, and we're pretty sure it's in or near our patio area. I absolutely love hearing it. 

4. I'm not a big sports fan, but just like the NBA Finals, I've been enjoying all the World Cup videos and memes. I love how excited everyone is, and it's a nice reprieve from the news and the state of the country.

5. I had way too many appointments this month, but I'm glad we got them out of the way. I'm really thankful that July will be a month with very few appointments.

6. I've been more mindful of my spending and am trying to do a "low-spend summer". So far, it's going great.

7. I love that my Instagram feed is showing recipes and lots of crafty, artsy content. 

8. We celebrated Father's Day and John. We gave John a couple of gifts. John and I went on a date and decided to go to the Corner Taqueria.

9. We've borrowed so many books this summer. I've already completed my local library's summer reading challenge.

10. I highly recommend putting Cloud Runner by Joy Harjo on your TBR list, requesting it at your library, or preordering it. I was so lucky to get an advanced copy and absolutely loved it. 

11. Amy Turn Sharp shared a really great idea on her Substack newsletter, Warm Hands.

12. I wasn't in the best mood in June, and I'm still sad about it. I'm hoping for better days in July.

13. I don't normally watch a lot of movies or series, especially during summer, but there are quite a few I'm hoping to watch in the next few weeks. 

14. I've been dreaming of autumn. 

15. I have a couple of big decisions to make...and I'm a bit anxious and excited about them.

16. May the next month continue to bring this sudden creative surge that I've been looking for and waiting for. Here's to hoping I actually work in my journal.

16. So long, June. You were a month. Hello July. Although I don't associate you with lazy days, I'm really hoping for a much more peaceful and less stressful month. 

Photo by Steinar Engeland on Unsplash

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Sunday! Can you believe we're at the end of June? I can't believe we're just days away from July. This week was incredibly busy and at times very stressful. In fact, the entire month has been busy and kind of stressful. I'm glad this month is almost over. Although the month has been...a month, I've been making sure to think about the things that made me happy every week. Doing this has really helped me remember that good things still happen, even if it's something small.

1. I think my creative block is going away, and I'm so excited. I think decluttering definitely helped bring that creative spark back.

2. This made my heart smile.

3. Decluttering! I am still decluttering a room/area almost every day. I've donated so many bags of stuff and tossed out a lot of things, too. I shredded so much paperwork and was honestly shocked at how much stuff I had saved that we no longer needed. I may reopen my Etsy shop and sell some of the crafty things I no longer use. Maybe I'll make some ephemera kits? If you're interested, please let me know. I have way too much stuff. 

4. On Repeat: Another Brick In the Wall, Pt 2 by Pink Floyd

5. Malaka Gharib's Summer Worksheet. I plan to fill mine out soon.

6. On the wishlist: Don't Call It Art by Austin Kleon 

7. I found a new-to-me New York Times series called Metropolitan Diary. I'm enjoying this series a lot.

8. Currently Reading: I'm slowly reading What Are You Waiting For?: An Anthology, edited by Kathy Curto. I've also been catching up on a lot of Substack newsletters by my favorite writers and artists.

9. "If I am being honest, the only people I listen to are women." - Amy Turn Sharp

10. I looked at my July calendar and am happy that I don't have a lot planned for the month. I'm hoping for a less chaotic and less stressful month.

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Tetiana Padurets on Unsplash

Summer 2026 Bucket List

Happy Monday! Yesterday marked the first day of summer! Although it's felt like summer for weeks, there's just something about the official start of a new season that makes me excited. As always, I love to mark the beginning of a new season with a seasonal bucket list. Although I usually don't cross everything off my list, it's always fun to make one. Of course, my bucket list includes a bunch of my traditional must-do activities, but I also included a few new things. I may or may not update this list in a few weeks if I come up with anything new. Check out the list below.

• Read 8 books

• Read the Edge of Everything short story collection

• Try 3 new-to-me recipes like this one

• Publish 1 personal essay or micro-memoir

• Drink more water

• Watch 2 movies

• Create a photo essay

• Participate in a creative class

• Declutter a room or area a week

• Collect things to donate

• Start a new TV series 

• Complete my library's book challenge

• Work in my sketchbook/journal

• Make 2 layouts

• Order photo prints

• Make s'mores

• Eat Rainier cherries

• Go to Food Truck Tuesday

• Play more board games and card games

• Learn more about my library's resources

• Spend less

• Go for more walks 

• Visit more local events

• More afternoon naps

• Make a mini book

• Work on meal prep

• Take more photos

• Look into selling books on Pangobooks

What's on your summer bucket list?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Matthew Brodeur on Unsplash

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Saturday! It's been a very busy week, and I'm so glad that it's the weekend. Today, we went to visit my mami and got to see my nieces. Tomorrow is Father's Day, so we'll be spending the day celebrating John. 

1. I finally got a notification from my local library about a book I've had on hold for months. I was so excited to pick it up.

2. This unpublished speech by Andrea Gibson. Simply one of the best commencement speeches I've ever heard.

3. The absolute accuracy. #CardinalSigns

4. On Repeat: Jessie Murph's album, Sex Hysteria (Deluxe)

5. Inspired by: Karen Liz's pumpkin card. And Carlotta Klee's landscape drawing hack.

6. On the wishlist: I'm on the hunt for a new pair of black flats. If you have any recommendations, please share them.

7. John and I went on a date and also celebrated Father's Day a day early. We went to the Corner Taqueria and enjoyed a nice late lunch/early dinner. 

8. Currently Reading: Coffee + Crumb's 2026 Summer Collection. I always enjoy reading the seasonal essays, poetry, and other works by the various writers. I've been slowly reading through the collection. 

9. Some wonderful life advice: "Do what you have to do until you're able to do what you want to do."

10. As you may already know, my local Barnes & Noble is closing, so they are having a massive sale. A week ago, I had my eye on a study guide and decided to not buy it. Fast forward to this weekend, and I was delighted to see it was still in stock, so I quickly purchased it.

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Kateryna Hliznitsova on Unsplash

Atlanta Mom Blog

Happy Wednesday! I'm over at Atlanta Mom with a new post. I'm sharing a list of summer family-friendly movies. Feel free to check out my post and tell me what you think. You can check out my previous posts here. 

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

10 Things That Made Me Happy Last Week

Happy Monday! I meant to share this post over the weekend, but unfortunately, we were dealing with some internet outage. Right when I was about to hit publish on this post...the internet went out, and it's been off and on for the entire weekend. This also made me realize how much we rely on the internet. On the bright side, my screen time decreased, so I'm counting that as a win. 

1. My sleep cycle has been off, but it's been nice being able to sleep in. Just one of summer break's perks. 

2. I'm not a basketball fan, but I've been enjoying seeing how excited New Yorkers are for the Knicks. Also, congratulations to the Knicks! 

3. Inspired by: Michelle Rial's chaotic Overthinking Children's Book Venn diagram

4. On Repeat: A mix of Fleetwood Mac, Lord Huron, Sufjan Stevens, SYML, and Lana Del Rey

5. I've been on the hunt for new-to-me recipes, and this one-pan cheesy pasta bolognese might be one I make in the next week or so.

6. This made me laugh. Also incredibly accurate for the weekend, especially on Saturday. The high temperature was 91 degrees, but it felt like it was 95.

7. This is such a beautiful short film of Oliver Jeffers sharing the story behind TIME AND SPACE. The watch is stunning, but expensive. However, it's still on the wishlist.

8. Currently Reading: My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout

9. I was finally able to go to the salon to get my hair done. My hair definitely needed some TLC. I got my ends trimmed too. It was also great to catch up with my hairstylist.

10. I'm close to completing my local library's summer book challenge!

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Kateryna Hliznitsova on Unsplash

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Sunday! It's finally June! May really flew by. I can't believe it's been a week since June's arrival! So far, we are enjoying our summer break. It may not be officially summer, but it definitely feels like it. This week was a bit of a slow week, but I absolutely loved it. I'm really looking forward to slower days in June and all the adventures we plan to go on. 

1. I recently learned about The Strangers Project and think it's such a cool project. The Strangers Project was founded by Brandon Doman. Brandon collects handwritten stories by strangers. None of the stories is submitted online or via mail; they are written in person and are anonymous. Although the Strangers Project is based in New York City, I would love for there to be a pop-up in my city soon. Check out the Strangers Project Instagram page here.

2. Unfortunately, our local Barnes & Noble is closing. This particular bookstore's architecture and design are gorgeous, so it's a bit sad that they are going to tear it down to make way for a gas station. John and I stopped by since they are currently having amazing deals. We found some great Father's Day gifts and birthday gifts for my father-in-law. We also bought a few books for the boys, a really cool planetarium projector for Raphael, and I stocked up on greeting cards for upcoming holidays and birthdays.

3. I recently learned I won a copy of What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson from a Goodreads Giveaway. I'm so excited to get my copy. 

4. On Repeat: Petit Génie (Italian Remix) by Jungeli feat. Imen Es, Lossa, Rhove, and Germo67

5. I received Katie Licht's latest analog newsletter, and it was so incredibly relatable.

6. On the wishlist: Rowan Semi-Precious Custom Layered Bracelet by BaubleBar

7. On the Summer Bucket List: Visit the High Museum of Art to see Amy Sherald's exhibition, American Sublime and Los Porfiados (The Stubborns) by the Chilean creative studio, gt2P.

8. Currently Reading: Love Poems by Rupi Kaur

9. Inspired by: Yin Goh's journal flip through and Elyssa's drawings of people

10. I've been participating in my local library's summer book challenge, and learning so much about the many resources my library offers. It seems like almost every day since the challenge started, I have learned something new. I'm blown away by all the things available. I'm especially excited about the different library databases offered. From education to career to genealogy and so much more, there is such a wealth of information to be learned from the resources offered.

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Heather Ford on Unsplash