Writing this, I feel like I can finally take a deep breath. The last month has been crazy with three weddings in five weeks, three road trips to different parts of Virginia in a month, and Charlie’s first week of summer camp (he loved it so much!). We love traveling, but I have to admit that I’m grateful our summer travels have pretty much come to a close…we’re eager for some relaxing time at home and the chance to enjoy our own city. Charlie is doing swimming lessons and another week of camp this month, plus we’re finally going to start potty training, so July’s activities will center a lot around our sweet boy! We’re also hoping to catch an outdoor movie, do some blueberry picking, and escape to the beach for a day.

June Favorites (a new addition to Goals posts! See the first list here.)
1. I finally made it off the 200+ person wait list at my library for Cribsheet last week and am flying through it. I appreciate Emily Oster’s approach so much and am enjoying reading her research about early childhood just as much as I enjoyed the pregnancy version in Expecting Better. If you’re not familiar with her style, check out her recent Freakonomics episode to see if it resonates with you.
2. We’re loving the Street Food mini-series on Netflix–beautifully filmed and a great window into some other cultures. Do not watch hungry!
3. We made this super-easy recipe twice in two weeks and I know it’s going to continue to be a mainstay. I add a few Trader Joe’s sundried tomato chicken sausages and broccoli to the pan to make it a little more substantial.
4. Continuing to love my prayer journal (shared about here) a month in. They’re now on sale for only $10, so it’s the perfect time to snap one up if you’re interested!

June Goals
1. Go to two holy hours with nothing but my Bible and my prayer journal. (Really struggling to make this happen, but I’m grateful for much-improved prayer time at home lately.)
2. Research and write a fun liturgical living post for Blessed Is She.
3. Read before bed every night (even if just for five minutes).
4. Test out a new house cleaning routine for the month. (Well, we wrote out the routine but only stuck to it about half the time!)
5. Wear my Apple Watch every day and do my best to close all three rings.
6. Start making notes for a new blog design, coming later this year (!!!).
7. Finish curating 2016 photos and design 2016 album. (Album is almost done, so I just need to carve out one more evening to finish it.)

July Goals
1. Buy and start reading The Heart of Perfection for my small group.
2. Do something special to celebrate the feast of Sts. Zelie and Louis Martin (two of our family favorites!)
3. Start our two-month Contentment Challenge.
4. Plan and price out materials for our much-awaited laundry closet refresh, to take place in the fall.
5. Get creative with summer vegetables by trying a new veggie-heavy recipe every week.
6. Finish designing 2016 album and curate 2017 photos.
7. Love Charlie well through potty training–please share all your tips!!