July 2026 Goals

Happy Wednesday! We're eight days into the month, and I'm just now sharing my monthly goals. This month is going by so fast already.

June was unexpectedly busy and at times incredibly stressful. We were busy with home repairs, and we also had a ton of appointments. I'm glad we got all of the appointments for June out of the way before school starts back again. 

Even though June didn't go as planned, there were some great days. One highlight of the month was celebrating Father's Day. We spoiled John with some gifts. John and I also went out on a date. I got to see my youngest niece and nephew. They have gotten so big, and it was nice to see the kids all together. I participated in my first online focus group, and it was so interesting. 

This month, I'm really hoping for a slower month. I'm a little sad that summer break is almost over, and I'm determined to have a less stressful month. I'm looking forward to celebrating my wedding anniversary and going on a nice date with John. I'm looking forward to more decluttering around the house. I'm impressed with how much I've gotten done. I'm also looking forward to continuing my low-spend summer. I really like that I've been intentional about my purchases this summer, and I'm hoping this continues after the summer as well. 

I'm planning to continue to take it easy on my monthly goals. Although I should have more time this month to work on my goals, I don't want to stress about it. Since I've mentioned goals and it's a new month, let's have a quick recap of last month's goals and check out my goals for July.

Recap of June Goals

• Read 2 books I borrowed from the library: Raphael and I read several books from the Pigeon series by Mo Willems. I also read Love Poems by Rupi Kaur.

• Read 2 books I received from NetGalley: I read Cloud Runner by Jo Harjo. I absolutely enjoyed this collection of poetry. The way Harjo put her grief into words was powerful, sad, and at times heartbreaking. I also read Bad Bunny by Lexi Davis. 

• Make 1 scrapbook/Project Life layout: I did not make any layouts or anything crafty. June was an insane month, and I was so busy with a bunch of things that I knew I wouldn't be able to focus on any crafty projects. I'm glad I didn't forget to make anything; I just simply did not have the time. 

• Try 1 new-to-me recipe: I completely forgot about this goal. Honestly, even if I did remember, I did not have the energy to even try a new recipe. I mainly stuck to our favorites, but we also had takeout a couple of times. 

July Goals

• Read 2 books I borrowed from the library

• Read 1 book I received from NetGalley

• Try 1 new-to-me recipe

• Work in my journal/art journal

• Watch or stream a movie

• Enjoy the rest of our summer break

What are your goals for July? How did you do in June? 

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Sunday! Can you believe it's already July! We're already five days into the month! It seems like this month may just fly by as well. I hope you all have been enjoying your summer. However, you decided to celebrate the holiday and long weekend, I hope you were all safe and had fun. 

1. We celebrated Mami's birthday. It was nice seeing my sisters, nieces, and nephews. The kids have gotten so big. 

2. I read Julia at the Drive-In by Rainbow Rowell and really enjoyed this short story. This story is part of the Edge of Everything short story collection.

3. It was strange to even think about celebrating the Fourth of July. We kept it low-key, but John and I did go on a little day date. We even snuck in some errands too. 

4. I put a few books on hold at my local library, and I'm so excited because Austin Kleon's latest book, Don't Call It Art, is finally in transit to my local library. I should be able to pick it up in the next few days. 

5. On repeat: Angels by Khalid. Love the entire album, American Teen.

6. John and I finally went to The Salty. We bought the Boston Cream Pie and Traditional Glazed donuts. The donuts were massive and so good. 

7. I'm always inspired by Katie Licht's collage books. 

8. On the wishlist: I need a new bookcase and a couple of storage containers. I'm still in decluttering and organizing mode, so the storage containers will actually be useful. The bookcase is both a need and a want...my current one is broken.

9. We've been eating so much fruit this summer. My favorite in recent years has been Rainier cherries. So good!

10. I'm really thankful this was not such a busy week. It was just what I needed. 

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

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...