Summer Reads.

Last night, on a probably-unnecessary-but-very-necessary late night Skype catchup call with my BFF who lives about 10 minutes away, she said something very interesting:

I need to get back into the habit of reading for pleasure.

Booyah. There it is. Right there! Reading for fun is a habit, just like any other pass-time. The more you do it, the more you enjoy it, the more you work it into your daily schedule – the better it is. I am also of the opinion that reading the wrong things can bum you out and steer your clear of reading altogether. There’s probably some deep metaphor in there for life, but I’m a little out of it this morning so just bear with me.

I have a simple rule, most of the time: I read what I’m really, really excited to read. Choosing a book at random off my shelf can work in a pinch, but most of the time I try to read things that I can’t wait to get my hands on. This might seem like it’d be expensive, but I rely quite heavily on the libraries at my disposal (my school’s system and the Montreal library), which, among them, carry most things. Of course, for the brand-new ones that aren’t yet at the library, I can usually save $10-15 by buying them on Kindle. And sometimes I decide to be patient, and wait until I can get them for free.

All of this is to say: I believe in you! If you decide to make this summer the summer that you get back into reading for fun, you can do it. Let me help you by sharing my personal picks for the next few months! These are all books I’ve either read and enjoyed, am reading, or am psyched to get my hands on.

Continue reading

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Currently.

Feeling tired, but happy.

Craving sleep, a home-cooked meal, and a back massage.

Enjoying warm weather, picnics, and happy hours!

Reading Let’s Pretend This Never Happened and giggling, a lot.

Thinking about going back to bed for half an hour.

Grateful that I have a job, friends who love me, and that my family is healthy and happy.

Excited to watch our little cherry tomato plant grow.

Watching the last few episodes of Game of Thrones!

Happy to feel like I’m finally coming into my own in some ways.

Brainstorming lists for/of exciting new projects.

Wishing there were a few more hours in the day.

Getting more enthusiastic about running.

Eating far too many cold bagels for my liking, not enough fresh fruit and homemade pizza.

Obsessed with Instagram and now VSCO cam.

Crazy about this playlist.

Entertaining the idea of creating a bar, so we can make margaritas at home.

Hoping to make it through the day with a smile on my face.

Sending you happy vibes for a Happy Monday.

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2012 goal progress.

Don’t ask me why I feel compelled to do a round-up of my 2012 goals in mid-May. It’s not quite halfway through the year, nor is this a quarterly report, I just feel like it’s the right time for me to assess my progress and get motivated for the next half-ish of the year. Ready? Okay!

In general, I have been so happy about these goals. I love that they’re tangible, I love that they’re check-off-able, and I love that they give me a bit of a direction in how I live my life. They help me focus on what I think is important, and that winds up shaping my everyday life in positive ways. That being said, I’ve made a lot of progress on some of my goals, and next to no progress on others. I’ve already scrapped one, and another is starting to seem like it doesn’t jibe with who I am or what I want anymore – funny how quickly things can change, right!? Anyhow, let’s go into a bit more detail.

Personal

  • Read 75 books this year/ I’ve read 14 so far
  • Take 5 trips/ I haven’t taken a single trip, unless you count going home for reading break and my birthday. I’ll hopefully be taking a couple in the summer, but 5 seems a little far off at the moment.
  • Bake & decorate 5 cakes [12]/ I’m hoping to make a few more – not quite so elaborate as the first two! Maybe something light and fun for summer birthdays.
  • Bake 4 “breads” from scratch [12]/ I have my eyes on PW’s X Bread, for one.

Creative

  • Write 100 blog posts (2 a week!)/ I’m currently at 54 posts, counting this one, which means I am well on-track for this goal! And it’s probably my favourite goal of all of them.
  • NaNoWriMo 2012/ Luckily, don’t have to worry about this one until November. But I am still totally motivated to write my 2nd novel!
  • Submit writing to 3 different newspapers or magazines/ This I have made no headway on. In fact, in all the hullabaloo of the past few months I completely forgot I’d even made this a goal. I’ll be getting on it ASAP!
  • Project 365 (see the photos on Flickr)/ I love this goal and I’ve been dutifully doing it every day. Haven’t missed a photo yet, knock on wood!
  • Complete 10 DIY projects (check them out here)/ I’m at 7/10 (haven’t posted the latest on the blog yet) and I hope to end up doing more than 10. This is my other favourite 2012 goal, it has been so much fun.
  • Write an ebook/ Nope. But I’ve started working on a cookbook, and I have thoughts milling about in my brain, so we’ll see if this will happen!

Physical

  • Take a photo of everything I eat / This was a nice thought, but it’s just not going to happen! I was in a very different headspace at the beginning of this year, and I no longer feel the need to obsess over food, count calories, or strictly monitor anything. I feel a lot more balanced, which is why I have no qualms about striking this goal from the list.
  • Lose 20 pounds/ I have similar feelings about this goal – I have not weighed myself since January (I don’t have a scale), and even though I lost probably about 10 pounds that month on the slow-carb diet, I no longer care. Yes, I’m still working at getting healthier, but no, I don’t really care about the weight itself. So this one too is getting struck from the list!
  • Be able to run 10K/ This goal, on the other hand, is still a happy and positive one for me. It’s a great milestone to aim for, and I have been slowly improving my running ability and distance over the last couple months. My last run, I ended up going 4.68km at a nice easy gait, and enjoyed it. Meaning I’m almost halfway there! Yay. 

Overall, mixed results. Some of my goals have gotten more attention than others (blogging, DIY), but that probably has a lot to do with the fact that it’s been wintery and more conducive to indoor pursuits. Hopefully more trips, running, and reading can take place this summer. I’m so excited for what’s to come.

Thanks for reading! How are your New Year’s Resolutions or 2012 goals going?

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