Category: list

April already…

Published on by Mae @ RainydayinmayLeave a comment

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I’m thinking I need to work on how stressed out and consumed I’m getting at the end of the month… I am just not making my goals very well… Here it is, already the seventh and I’m just getting this to you. Sad.
Me–
– work on editing, rewriting and polishing my manuscript. Still. Forever. UGH.
– continue to try NEW things, all year. I’m not complaining…
– quality time with some of my most (absolute favoritestesestestestestestest) people.
– paying a visit to my favorite {cheap} decor store!
– baby snuggles… they are good for the soul.
 Us–
– Ginormous road trip across the middle of the country. 60 + hours of car karaoke, Smart Water, audio books and pit stops. *sigh*
– swimming! Lots of chlorine in our hair, fo’ sho!
– spending every day this month with showing my husband with love and gifts as we gently walk him through the last 40 days of his 39th year.
– eating at some of our favorite place, and doing some of our favorite things that Michigan just doesn’t have.
– A quick visit to Amanda’s. The best way to wrap up our trip, hands down!
Heart–
– I’m focussing on more intentional reading (less fluff) throughout the season of Lent.
– after Lent confession: I need some absolute fluff because my brain is feeling a bit fried and I am mega-behind on my book goals. (that Lent sacrifice has been a challenge!)
– journal more.
– Be more graceful.
Create–
– A surprise. I’ll keep you posted. Give me about a week, maybe a week and a half and I’ll let you know…
– Writing challenge project for my online writer’s group.
Reading–
– Jesus Feminist
– Bread & Wine by Shauna Niequist
– Tales from a Blue Bike
– Storyline By Donald Miller
Home–
– finding, DIYing or renovating a table for our bedroom. (still. No luck. I’m so picky!)
Health–
– regular gym workouts, post this trip…
– in the meantime, swimming and treadmill…
– Continuing with my fitbit flex. We had a bit of a rough patch, but I believe we’ve working things out.
– doing better on my water intake. I’ve slipped. (preferably, NOT while swimming. Ha!)
– get a massage!
Love–
– continuing with our intentional date challenge, hopefully managing one this month, which will put us a bit behind.
– Celebrating 20 years since I first married this amazing man who is my partner and incredible husband!
– Double dating with our two favorite people on the planet! We could eat tv dinners outside of a 7/11 and it would be fabulous, we’ve missed them so much! A year is far too long between get togethers with your life’s greatest assetts!
What about your April?

 

It ain’t easy…

Published on by Mae @ Rainydayinmay5 Comments

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I’m a significant portion Irish, but I’ve never really gotten into the whole St. Patricks day thing. Beyond elementary school celebrations, it never really seemed like a big deal. In this part of the country though, St. Patricks day is kind of a bigger deal than it is back home. Wonders never cease…

At any rate, less in the spirit of conformity and more in the motivation of focusing on things I either love or am looking forward to- (you know, things which are NOT white, glittery, freezing cold and associated with winter) I thought I’d make a lovely little list of green things that I hope are in my VERY near future…

– bare feet in soft green grass.

– watermelon (though technically it’s the pink part that’s the best)

– fresh, roasted brussel sprouts with garlic.

– key lime pie

– Mexican coke with a wedge of lime, on a hot day. (it counts!)

yeah… it may be a small list, but it’s a pretty important one!

Do you have any green favorites?

Better six days late…

Published on by Mae @ Rainydayinmay5 Comments

than never…

I had ever intention of getting my MARCH post up, on March 1st. Ideally, I should have started working on it prior to March 6th… It has been completely insane over here though, there have been so many things to do, for so many projects with deadlines or other time sensitive issues. It’s been fun, but a bit CRAZY!

Every day I have to sadly transfer “March post” from the previous day’s to-do list, to the current. Oh well, what can you do? Six days late is better than sixteen. Or Sixty. Can you imagine me posting this in May? Yikes…

March… 

Me–
– work on editing, rewriting and polishing my manuscript. Still. Forever.{ The day this isn’t on my list, I will replace it with “do happy dance”, and I will do it too! }
– continue to try NEW things.
– celebrating my dearest friends, in small ways, throughout my birth month, because I’m so grateful to have them in my life.
 Us–
– Celebrating a month of family birthdays.
– Genny’s birthday party.
– A visit with Amanda. (miss her so much!)
 Heart–
– I’m focussing on more intentional reading (less fluff) throughout the season of Lent.
– journal more.
 Create–
– I’ve been really negligent on paper crafting stuff so I need to work on some cards and maybe a separate project or two.
– Writing challenge project for my online writer’s group.
– a birthday surprise for my husband, who turns forty in a couple of months.
Reading–
– Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist (still)
– Bread & Wine by Shauna Niequist 
– Tales from a Blue Bike
– Storyline By Donald Miller
Home–
– finding, DIYing or renovating a table for our bedroom.
Health–
– regular gym workouts.
– yoga
– Continuing with my fitbit flex, which i still LOVE…
Love–
– continuing with our intentional date challenge.
– going away for a quick weekend, together. Something we have only really done once, for a concert, and most of that was driving.
What is your March looking like?

Thus far…

Published on by Mae @ Rainydayinmay1 Comment

If you read here with any regularity, you’ll know that my Word for 2014 is NEW.

While there are many big changes happening personally, in my life, that will bring about newness, I really felt like NEW was very much the word my year needed. I am personally stuck, feet ground deep, in so many stubborn ways and for no good reasons other than complacency or fear. We relocated last year and that coupled with the fact that I’m really fighting against the adaptation of establishing NEW friendships, NEW routines, NEW traditions… It’s been a really hard transition for me. I finally found myself willing to admit that it was high time I embraced the new, and with that, looked for new…

So, along with the absolutely everything thats New for us- (I loved our brand of milk, and our brand of bread, and our brand of bacon, and our regular market… if you are a creature of habit like me, I’m sure you get it.) I’ve vowed to myself to make two-thousand and fourteen the year of trying new things. Seeking out the new places, even when they are inconvenient… Reading the genres of books that I likely may not have picked up before… trying New traditions, embracing new habits and trying my hand at new ideas…

With that being said, here’s a brief list of what was NEW in January…

– I read a mystery book. (the Secret Keeper by Kate Morton)

– I joined a gym.

– I am practicing yoga regularly.

– I (well, we) joined a Date My Spouse Challenge, challenging ourselves to 25 INTENTIONAL dates in 2014. {Read about it here.}

{1.) Chw and I got tickets to the Sundance Film Festival USA experience in Ann Arbor where we saw the independent film Infinitely Polar Bear and did a Q & A with the writer and an actor. This was something we’d never done before AND an intentional date for us as it gave us a lot of good discussion time both before, and after the film. We had a lot of fun!}

– I started an online Writer’s Group that I’m really excited about.

– I joined a Jane Austen book club. (I already have an IRL book club, and the idea of a Jane Austen one feels way over my head, but I did it anyway!)

– I started taking an afternoon a week, out of the house, that is devoted just to writing exercises and correspondence.

– I took my youngest to a hotel for some quality away time together. (You can read about our adventure here.)

– I’ve stopped turning the tv on, simply because it’s evening.

– I’ve begun reading classic Children’s literature.

– I’ve started baking artisan bread weekly.

– I’m devoting time every week to listen to new-to-me music. {Do you have something you’d like to suggest?}

– I started going to bed earlier (something VERY new to me, minus the one night I stayed up until 2:30 reading the Secret Keeper)

– Not deliberately, I tried a new hair care/body product line that I fell in love with. It’s quite heavenly… (though it’s Crabtree & Evelyn so my budget isn’t quite as enamored as I am.)

– I purchased a series of containers that make it easier for Genny to take hot lunches to school and never have to use the microwave.

– I’m trying not to use the microwave. (this is new for me.)

– I’m having afternoon tea and discussion/devotion time with Genny every weekday afternoon. This is new for us and so far, it’s pretty nice.

In February…

Published on by Mae @ Rainydayinmay3 Comments
Me–
– work on editing, rewriting and polishing my manuscript.
– see the last 3 Oscar contender films.
– write more letters.
– continue to try new things.
– learn at least one thing on the guitar.
– devote one “date” a week to either quality alone time or spending time with a friend.
Us–
– cocktail and game night.
– prioritizing the time together as quality time.
– apply for Gen’s summer program.
 Heart–
– women’s group at church. I “joined” last month, but with all of the snow days, I’ve yet to attend.
– journal more.
 Create–
– I’ve decided to be a bit cliche’ and go with Love for my February photo series them. I’m going to try and be a little out of the box (no promises) despite the cliche’ timing of the theme. {If you missed my January series, you can click here.}
– I’ve been really negligent on paper crafting stuff so I need to work on some cards and maybe a separate project or two.
– Writing challenge project for my online writer’s group.
– two (as of yet, undecided) Pinterest projects.
Reading–
– Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist
– Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austin
– Welcome Home Mama & Boris.
– The Wind in the Willows.
Home–
– finding, DIYing or renovating a table for our bedroom.
Health–
– regular gym workouts.
– yoga
– using my Fitbit Flex, a gift to me in January, and I have to say i LOVE it.
Love–
– we are taking part in an Intentional date challenge and have only had 1 out of 25 this year… (that Australia trip really threw us off!) so we’ve got some making up to do!
– I’m showering the husband with an absolutely cheesy, but fun Fourteen Days of Valentines fun.