July Goals | 2017

This July is all about getting rid of JUNK. Junk in my diet, junk in my house, junk in our days– buh bye! As a teacher, I am an unashamed fan of alliteration, so the official hashtag for this de-junking endeavor is going to be #junkfreejuly. Yep. Total nerd and I don't even care.

Diet: My intentions were to be strict paleo postpartum for the first few weeks/months depending on the stability of my skin, and we did a great– and I mean great job preparing freezer meals, but I was not anticipating that I would be constantly hungry around the clock with breastfeeding. I did not remember that from last time. Within two days I had eaten entire bags of tortilla chips, boxes of Lara Bars, gluten free pretzels, gluten free cookies... you name it, I ate it. In general my eczema hasn't been too bad, but it is definitely flaring up in a few places and so I've reinstated light therapy twice a week (I had weaned down to once a week for most of my pregnancy) and am avoiding gluten and dairy at all costs. My sugar sweet tooth is out of control though, so doing a hard reset in July to reign that back in with only a few exceptions (like, almond milk coffee creamer, and some other things that have less than 10g sugar per serving). I probably should eliminate coffee also but I can't. Newborn and toddler life. I have to have coffee. Non negotiable. Caffeine is what really opens my eyes in the mornings.

• Meal plan for three meals a day + snacks, not just dinners. 
• Make ahead/batch cook when applicable.
• Minimal stops at drive thrus, no more Chick Fil A fries-- just fruit cups. 

House: I am shocked at how much stuff we have accumulated since our last major clean out when we got rid of bags and bags and boxes and boxes of stuff. I have a detailed comprehensive list in my bullet journal of things that need de-junking but the gist:

• baby/toddler clothes– organize in boxes, get rid of ones that do not spark joy (or that don't fit, aren't useful, not seasonally appropriate, etc) and come up with an effective storage plan and DONATE what's left. (A friend of mine volunteers weekly at a crisis pregnancy center that takes baby clothes so I LOVE that I know that it's going to a great place where it will be used!) 
• my clothes-- go through maternity clothes and get rid of things that I absolutely will not wear if I get pregnant again (probably not happening) and return borrowed items. Store in attic and donate/give away items I don't need/want.
• toys-- holy cow the toys! I packed up at least 75% of the kid toys into the closet and plan to donate a good chunk of them. Less is so much moore. 
• attic-- there are a few boxes up there of my childhood items and some other things that I don't even know what they are. Go through, keep and organize or purge. 
• an array of cabinets and drawers and closets throughout that just need a general walk through with a trash bag. It's time to say goodbye to many many things! 
• digital-- I have a few external hard drives and cds with photos that need to be put on our personal smug mug. Once they are uploaded, toss! 

Days: Without work in my life, I've been waaaayyyy loose about routine around here. Sleeping until the last possible minute, endless stream of Netflix while I sit and feed the baby. The teacher in me knows that routine minimizes meltdowns for little people (and big people-- ha!) so we have to get a rhythm back before work starts back for me in August. 

• Limiting us to ONE show on Netflix a day (preferably before lunch or nap, not before bedtime). Movies on Friday only. 
• Me, waking up at 6 when I feed Emmeline and getting up, getting dressed, getting ready. Our days run so much smoother when I get a head start before the toddler awakes. I can handle him much better if I have something in my belly before his toes hit the floor. Also, I'm up early and have the day's chores handled I can nap when the kids nap. 
• Limit playdates to 3 days a week. We are LOVING summer schedule and time with friends, but there's quite a bit of chores and errands that have to take place to keep this place running smoothly, and we need some justthethreeofus time. 

So, the overarching goal is essentially Get My Life Back Together Because Real Life is Coming Back Soon. This month of summer fun/maternity leave/postpartum recovery has been sweet, but I'm ready for some more structure.

Some fun things on my summer fun list, though....

• go to the pool with cousins
• go to the beach (still talking daddy into this one)
• make (paleo) apple pie
• play in the kiddie pool in the front yard
• eat popsicles for snack
• see fireworks
• participate in LOVE WEEK 2017! 
• visit splash pad again 
• write more
• shoot at church some
• document a day at home