Sweet Mother of June.

That's what I said when my alarm went off this morning. 

I'm having heart palpitations. Someone hold me. 

So I have returned from my 12 day, four-state, multi-coastal jaunt.
Arizona? Check.

California? Check.

Chicago? Check.

Pennsylvania? Check.

I would have blogged more, but I was too busy living at the airport. If you look on your next visit, you can see that I was named "Flyer of the Month" in Terminal C.

Okay not really. But that should totally be a thing. #causeIwouldhavewon

I actually returned home late Monday night, but after work yesterday I refused to do anything remotely productive. I refused to unpack the four (yes, four) suitcases that are taking up my bedroom floor. I refused to cook dinner (to-go bag special for the win). I refused to go through the giant stack of mail. I refused to do laundry. I just refused it all.  It was the last day in May, and I was milking it for all it was worth. 

....because I have SO MUCH TO DO IN JUNE. 

People. I leave for Australia in 36 days. I have a couple more trips in June (yes really) that add up to 6 days, and a July lake trip for 4 days. So technically I'm down to 26 days. And there go the heart palpitations again. 

Not only do I have to pack for Australia, but I also have to pack up my current living quarters and shove them into Jeff's garage #freestoragebyboyfriendforthewin

But in full disclosure I still have zero idea how to pack for a 9-week trip, so I can't pack up the things I don't need until I know what things I do need. See my predicament?

Anyways. All that being said - I have decided to make a list. [insert your shocked face here]

I have a list of work things I need to get done before I go.
I have a list of Australian mobility things I need to complete. 

I have a list of travel plan to-dos I need to finalize.
I (will eventually) have a list of things to pack.

What I don't have? A list of ways to cram my summer into one month. 

When I get back to the good ole USA it'll be fall. And while I have a serious obsession with fall - I don't just want to miss out on summer altogether. So I'm making a list. I used to do monthly goals, and I guess this is a monthly goal of sorts. But titling this post "sweet mother of June" seemed a lot more festive than "June Goals."

All pretty self explanatory, but now that I look at it, it's primarily two things: 1) spend quality time with the people I love and will miss dearly, and 2) ensure I eat all important foods (ice cream, hot dogs, and Chick-fil-A) that they won't have in Australia. 

And while last year I celebrated my birthday for the entire month (you can read about it here), I'll be doing good to fit in one day this year. I took PTO from work....but let's be real. I'll probably be packing. Adulthood is lameo. 

Happy June everyone!

Until next time,
Katy

September Goals

Hello September. It's about time. 

I don't care how warm it is outside. You better believe I am curled up with my fuzzy robe, extra piping hot coffee in my mug, and I'm pretending it's in the 50s and 60s outside. So until I head out for the gym and immediately start sweating - it feels like fall outside. 

And with the first of the month comes monthly goals. But first let's recap August.

Now, if you remember back a month, we did something a little different in August. We focused on our happy. No lists, no goals - just did a little "Katy" every day. Let me tell you - I don't have too many fabulous ideas, but taking time to rediscover me was a brilliant idea. 

I baked, I bubble bathed, I read, I wrote, I got in a morning routine, I fell in love with yoga, I just lived. I focused on much more than work. I worked hard in those 40-45 hours I was there, but when I left (which was at a normal time)...I left work at work. 

Granted, I'm re-implementing my monthly goals this month, but I'm going to really try not to lose sight of what I learned in August. Both about life and about myself. 

So let's talk goals. Now the tricky part about this month is the fact that I wanted to do things like have a picnic, buy new boots, and wrap up in scarves and go for walks in the brisk air. ...too bad that's not September in Texas. 

1) Embrace College Football

I mean, don't get me wrong, I am excited, but I'm excited to wear green and gold, throw watch parties, and go to Waco and be reunited with my people. I think I want to actually TRY this year. As in try to understand the game. I bet this lasts the first weekend and then I'll be over it, but alas, it's a goal. 

2) Bake Seven of Paula Deen's Breads 

I am SO pumped about this! If you saw instagram or yesterday's post, you know I've been hanging out with Paula Deen lately. In the form of a magazine. Well, one magazine had seven different fall breads that all looked heavenly. But I couldn't decide which one to bake. So I decided to make it a goal to make all seven included in the magazine. A buncha fall breads are headed your way!

3) Fit in as Many Baseball Games as Possible

This month marks the close of the regular baseball season. Wamp wamp. So over the next month I am going to try to fit in as many hot dogs games as possible. And if I could see my man Hamels pitch again I will be one happy Katy. 

4) Spend a Long Weekend at Home

Like in Beaumont home. Because home makes me happy and I love hanging out with my parents. That's really all there is to it. OH - and my parents have the Hallmark channel. Always a good time :)

5) EAT BLUE BELL

Y'all, yesterday was a sad day to be Katy Reeves. My Facebook newsfeed was FILLED with Houston/Austin people eating Blue Bell. And this little piggy had none. So I'm going to need to find and devour a carton. Or two. Can one order Blue Bell? I'm still wondering why Blue Bell didn't send me any. I mean HELLO #1 fan over here. 

And there we have September! It's going to be a great month. I can feel it. 

Until next time,
Katy

 

August Goals

Hello, August. 

August means lots of things. It means the grocery stores are flooded with all kinds of new colored pens, highlighters, and spiral notebooks. It means there's inevitably going to be more traffic in the mornings. It means we can stop secretly hating our teacher friends for sleeping in for the past two months. And it means only 4 more weekends til football season. Sic 'em.

This month I'm doing a little something different in the way of monthly goals. This is in part due to the fact that I maybe accomplished two of my six July goals. Normally I kick off the monthly goals with a recap of how we did on the previous month's goals, but I can go ahead and tell you - we didn't do so hot. We did fall back in love with reading and we did cook more, but as for the rest? Meh. So if you want to see what my ambitious July goals were, click here.

What are we doing differently this month? Here is my [one] goal:

This month, I'm not micromanaging myself. Don't get me wrong, I fully believe in setting monthly goals and making lists to get things done, but sometimes, I think you gotta just focus on your happy. I ran across this little quote on April's blog and it really hit home for me....

 I nodded my head, raised my hand, and proclaimed an 'amen' when I read this. 

Yes, it is great to have an organized closet, it is great to not let your dirty laundry overflow its basket, and it's great to do all of those little things that make you feel like you 'adult' better. They're all important. But are they really the most important? 

If you knew you had only three months to live, would you focus on making your bed every morning and dusting your furniture? Probably not. You would focus on living, and spending every day doing something that makes you happy. 

I'm not saying we should all quit our jobs, crumple up our to-do lists, and run around like dirty hooligans, but every now and then I think it's okay, and important, to take a step back and just look at your life. You get 24 hours a day. Are you really spending them how you'd like to spend them? 

I am 1) a people pleaser and 2) over-committed. So my one "goal" this month is to reevaluate. I have a list (see? I didn't say give them up completely) of things I have been wanting to do for quite some time, but I just feel like days keep passing me by. I tell myself I'm just too busy right now and I'll try again another day, but those days turn into months, and those months into years. Time never stops. Life does have the ability to pass you by. It's your job not to let it. 

This goal can look different for everyone. That's what's so awesome about it. I'm not even sure what this looks like for me! I have a hunch, some ideas more or less, but really I just want to take it day by day. To be proud of what I accomplished when I lay my head down at night. To know that I am here for purpose that is much more than sitting at a desk for 8+ hours. 

So in August, I'm doing the happy. And I challenge you to do the same. You all know how fast the fall months fly by. Take the next four weeks to take a refresher course in "you."

Until next time,
Katy

July Goals

Well, my red, white and blue goggles are on and I'm ready for July! Normally, I don't like wearing red, white and blue together unless it's for the fourth. I don't know why - I just like to be covered in the colors on the actual day, and keep them sacred for the other 364 days. I know, I'm strange. Maybe I'll add this to my next list of owning the crazy...

Okay, so before we discuss July details, let's recap June:

JUNE

1. Celebrate Me! I definitely think I covered this. Thanks to my incredible friends and family. I posted about the first half of birthday week here, and the last half here. It was just such a good month, guys. So much love to all my people!

 2. Make Homemade Ice Cream: BOOM. Did it this weekend. I brought my new churn home, used my mama's recipe, and made some pretty deeeelicious ice cream! (Amy, next stop is your house!) I also am excited to get creative with flavors. ....maybe. We'll see. There's nothing better than vanilla with Hershey's syrup!

3. Finish 30 before 30 List: Done and Done. See the final masterpiece here!

4. Buy/Wear More Hats: I think I did a really good job here! Bought two more hats, borrowed one from my mom, so now I'm up to SIX! Haven't worn them all yet, but I've definitely gotten better!

5. Go to a Pool: Yup! Went a few times :) Still pretty pale though...

6. Get Car Serviced:  Eeeeekkks.. absolute fail. I just don't want toooooo. Anyone want to come with and keep me company? :)

7. Spend Less Money: Well, I did spend less....but let's just say this needs to be an ongoing goal :)
Some completed; some not - but overall a pretty awesome month!! Alright July...whatcha got? 

JULY

1. Fall Back in Love with Reading

Hah. Okay when I wrote this I was like, "dramatic much?" I guess a simple "read more" would have sufficed but that's not how I roll. It's so true though - I LOVE reading. I go through phases where I read book after book after book, then life happens, and I don't read for months. So I'm trying to get back into it. A beach vacation should help :)

2. Cook at home 3x a Week

Because I love cooking, it's healthier, and it'll help with that whole "spend less" initiative. But I am putting the disclaimer that if Kelsey or Jeff feel the urge to cook and I partake - I'm totally counting that. 

3. Living Quarter Clean Out

I love my cozy quarters, but they're a bit small. This month I will have lived in this house for a year, so it's time to clean out. It's amazing how when you live, you expand.... I took care of the chest and closet in April/May, but this is covering the bathroom cabinets, under the bed, junk drawers, all of that. Ick. This sounds awful. 

4. Go to the Gym 3x a Week

I'm always hesitant to put "weight loss" goals as a monthly goal, but I figured gym goals were easier to attain. So I'm trying to hit the gym 3x a week...in hopes that I get that healthy addiction and go more than that. Yeah. We'll see. I was supposed to go this morning, and I'm still in bed drinking coffee. Off to a good start... 

5. Finish One Shutterfly Book

Last week in my What's up Wednesday post, I talked about all of the Shutterfly books I need to complete. So this month I'm making it a goal to just complete ONE.

6. Go to the Movies

Because every month needs a fun goal, and I'm really trying to convince my friend Emily to go see "Inside Out" with me. [Hint hint...]

 And that's what I'm looking forward to in July! I love reading everyone's monthly goals. We're so ambitious, y'all. :)

Happy hump day, everyone!

Until next time,

Katy

June Goals

We are now in June. "Things I don't understand' for 400, Alex."

I mean seriously? At the end of this month, 2015 will be half over.  That is unreal to me. 

But alas - we ARE  in June. And with June comes another month of goals!

I love when the first day of the month falls on a Monday. It's like all points of productivity align and I can really give it my best shot. 

But before we dive into June goals, let's see how we did on our May goals... 

MAY

1. Work on my "Morning Person" - I'm pretty proud of this one. I've done a really good job at this. Granted, the first week of May was awful and I was so tired, but I actually got pretty used to it. I actually enjoy the quiet and dark of the morning. Plus, the earlier you wake up, the more cups of coffee you can cram into your system before lunch :)

2. Track/Budget Money - Well this was an eye opener. Thanks (or no thanks) to all of your Mint.com recommendations, I realized I have problems. Granted, I DID pre-pay for a vacation (or two) and I DID have to participate in Memorial Day sales - but we have to cool it in June, people.

3. Watch Fixer Upper - This is a funny show! Ironically, the first show I watched was "fixing up" the house of the owners of Common Grounds (my favorite coffee shop in the world). I adore Chip - that man is hilarious. And I hear I need to watch Joanna's biography. All in all - loved it!

4. Finish cleaning out closet - check! Took a whole bag of clothes to my personal goodwill (aka my mother).

5. Clean out Chest - check! I am not hurting in the J. Crew shorts department...I've cut myself off.

6. Bake 2 More Recipes - check check! Baked Veggie Gratin and Lemon Pie. One healthy; one not so much :)

Dang it. I really want lemon pie right now. 

Now onto...

JUNE

1. Celebrate ME!

This one might be tough :) Why are we celebrating me? Because it's BIRTHDAY MONTH! And I am pretty persistent about celebrating my sweet little self the whole entire month! :)

 (If you're not implementing this method, you should)

2. Make Homemade Ice Cream

If you read my Memorial Day wrap-up, you know that homemade ice cream is a staple/summer tradition in my family. Well, at the end of last summer I bought my own homemade ice cream churn and I have yet to use it! (Oh the horror!! ...I know) So I definitely want to break that thing in this month!

3. Finish my "30 before Thirty" List

If you're a frequent visitor, you know I'm working on my "30 before Thirty" bucket list. I'm making a list of 30 things I want to accomplish before I turn thirty. I'm publishing the list on my birthday this month, which will give me 3 whole years to accomplish it! Eeks! I'm excited :)

4. Buy/Wear More Hats

I love hats. According to my mom, I have "good hat hair." (I think it's just because mine is long and straight and hers is short and curly). Anywho - I need to wear hats more often. I have about 20 baseball hats, but I also want to wear other hats (fedoras, beach hats, etc). Plus - I need some for my upcoming beach vacation, so if you have any good ones - please share!

5. Go to a pool

Unfortunately, it is June and I have yet to visit a pool. While this is a sad statement, it really isn't TOO shocking considering we've been swimming in rain here the whole month of May. Fortunately, I think the sun will stick around for a while - so I need to get my tail to a pool!

6. Get Car Serviced

According to my car, I am almost 500 miles past an oil change. Whoops! Dad would not be happy. I just don't want tooooooo (said in a really whiny voice). But I guess I should get my adult on and take care of my vehicle. SIGH. I'll get Starbucks before hand. Okay...this is already sounding better...

7. Spend Less

Because again, I have to cool it in June. I'm appalled at myself. Granted, this might be tough considering goal #1 - but we'll at least give it a try :)

__________

And those are my June goals! I'll admit, they're some pretty enjoyable/easy goals - but again - it's birthday month. I can't work TOO hard this month :) 

Happy June (and Monday!) everyone!

Until next time,
Katy

May Goals

Lookie here. This year is F.L.Y.I.N.G by. We are already in May. How is that even possible!? We're going to be singing Christmas carols before we know it. ....and I'm actually not too sad about that. Okay anyways. Back to May. 

Another month means more goals. Now, I was planning on posting this on the first of the month, but May 1st fell on a Friday. And one never starts something on a Friday...not a diet, not the gym - nothing productive. That's what [fresh start] Mondays are for!

I just started monthly goals last month, so let's first see how I did on those April goals...

1. Do my taxes: taxes were filed, the return was received, and it has already been spent on an upcoming vacation. So there's that. Check!

2. Clean out my purse: best. idea. ever. My shoulder and back thank me. I think I had probably 2 lbs of bobby pins in that thing....ridiculous. But check!

3. Bake two new recipes:  baked them both! Earlier this month, I baked a strawberry cookie bar for Easter weekend, and last week I baked Heath bars for my coworkers. Both were hits! I'm still trying to perfect the strawberry bar before I post (woes of a perfectionist), but Jeff's buddies sure ate them up! They're not picky :) Check check!

4. Run a 5K: Yeah so this didn't happen. But that's because I went home and surprised my sweet mama instead. So I'm a-okay with it!

5. Take more bubble baths: I did take more, but can you really ever take enough? I thought I was doing good until I had a chat with my friend Kristie. She worked really late this past month (we're talking wee hours of the morning) and she still would go home and take a bath. That is some wind-down dedication folks. I apparently need to up my game. But we'll still call that a check!

6. Clean out the closet: uhhhhh. This is a big task. So I've completed half. The other half shall roll over to May. So....half check?

7. Sign up for guitar lessons: Well, I definitely looked into it, but I haven't settled on an instructor yet. And I don't want to rush things just to mark it off the list before May...so this is still a work in progress. No check yet. (wamp wamp)

All in all? I'm pretty proud of myself! 

So that was April. Now onto May! 

1. Work on my "morning person"

Now, this does not mean I need to work on being nicer to people in the morning. Though come to think of it I could probably work on that, too. But this is more of a "work on being a morning person." Y'all, I so badly want to be a morning person. Those few...rare...mornings that I do wake up before the world does are some of my favorites. I have SO many things I want to get done in the morning (quiet time, blogging, working out, etc.). But I can't get out of the blasted bed.  But it's not because I'm a night owl...because I'm not really that either. A while back I asked Jeff if he thought I was a morning person or a night owl and he just looked at me and said "neither." ....thanks, hun. 

But it's true. I just love the act of sleeping and lounging. 

Oh well. I need to be more productive. So I want to work on my morning person. 10 p.m. bedtime and 5-5:30 a.m. wake up call. That's my goal. We shall see...

2. Track/Budget Money

I just don't really know where my money goes. I could take some pretty good guesses, but I'm interested to see dollar for dollar where it goes. Like how much do I spend on coffee a month? ...okay maybe I don't want to know. No. Yes. Yes I do want to know. So I'm going to track my money in May.(bug gulp)

3. Watch an episode of Fixer Upper

I don't really watch much HGTV (though maybe I'm should since I'm working on my 'adult'), but I have heard so many wonderful things about this show! Plus the couple is from Waco. So I need to watch. It's the right thing to do. Sic'em.

4. Finish Cleaning out the Closet

This doesn't need much explanation. Just an April goal...part two. 

5. Clean out Chest

The majority of my summer clothes (shorts, tanks, etc.) are in my chest, and right now my drawers barely shut. That's a problem. So that's next on the list right after the closet! Plus J Crew Factory (where I get most of my shorts) had a 50% off sale last week and I mayyyy have a large package coming in this week. ....

6. Bake 2 More Recipes!

Because that was my favorite April goal :)

7. Channel my inner Blake Lively

Okay so this one is more of a 'funny' goal...but still a goal! So Kelsey and I went and saw Age of Adaline last night (super sweet movie by the way...tears were shed. And by Kelsey too! And she's the emotionally stable one!) and we found ourselves sitting there shoving popcorn and buncha crunch in our mouths and wondering what Blake Lively had that we didn't have (other than Ryan Reynolds). So as an underlying tone of our May goals, we are both channeling our inner Blake Lively. For example, when I was whining about having to start being a morning person, Kelsey said she bet Blake Lively was a morning person. So now my alarms look like this...

Channel your inner Blake Lively folks. Go see the movie, you'll understand what we're talking about.

________

So that's May! We'll see how it goes. Especially that whole morning person one....but considering it's 5:50 a.m. I think I'm off to a pretty good start!!

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Until next time,
Katy

April Goals

If you know me well or have hung out here for a month or two, you know 'busy' is my middle name. I was actually driving home from work yesterday thinking about the calendar (a common ritual of mine), and I realized I have something every weekend from now to mid-June. Whose fault is that? Oh it's absolutely mine. But that's how I roll. I love living fast-paced. 

BUT - while that's all fine and dandy, I will say a lot of things I want to do get postponed or slip my mind. So I've decided to make monthly goals. Yes, I realize it's already April 9th, but we're rounding down here and pretending it's April 1st. I'll do better next month. 

Here's what I'm looking to accomplish in April....

1. Do my taxes
Yes, the CPA hasn't done her taxes yet. I still have a week - don't count me out, yet. 

2. Clean out my purse
This is no joke, people. My purse is probably close to 10 lbs. I have one of those sturdy larger "catch-all" bags and it has gotten out of control. No telling what I'm going to find. I'm hoping for long lost dolla dolla bills but it'll probably be more like pens, old receipts, trash, thousands of bobby pins, etc...

3. Bake 2 new recipes
You know....to help with that summer bikini bod.....

4. Run a 5K
I'm not excited about this one. My team at work is running and I was peer pressured to sign up. I'm pretty sure I can't even run a 1K at the moment. Should be interesting.

5. Take more bubble baths
Because relaxing in bubbles with good smelling candles is highly underrated!

6. Clean out the closet
I walk in my closet and see nothing. Absolutely nothing to wear. But the truth of the matter is my closet is so jam-packed I can't actually fit anything else IN my closet. See the disconnect? I need to get reacquainted with my clothes, clean out, and.....maybe shop a little :)

7. Sign up for guitar lessons!
It's one of my 2015 resolutions, and I need to get on it.

So there we have it! My to-dos for April. 

In addition to monthly goals, I'm whipping up another list. Don't you just love a good list?! 

I turn 27 this June (I just winced) and I've decided to make a "bucket list" of sorts. I'm making a "30 before Thirty" list. Thirty things I want to accomplish before I turn 30! I want to have the list compiled by my 27th birthday so I have three whole years to complete it. 

BUT I NEED YOUR HELP!!! 

I definitely have a list going, but could use any ideas/advice/personal "bucket list" items of your own for assistance! And we're talking anything goes, people. Anything from cooking a rack of lamb to touring the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville (yes those are both on it....).
I'm all ears!

Until next time,
Katy