Getting it together

 WOW we are half way through October - what the #&@* happened!  September is always like a cannon shot out the door. But things usually slow down a bit towards the end of the month. Not this year. The traffic start of September was awful. Summer vacations over, kids back at university, people back in the office, but this year it hasn't calmed down.  Also I thought people were working from home! 

For some reason it feels like we haven't settled into a routine once school, life, fall started this year. Things keep coming at us and taking a breath doesn't seem to be happening.  Trying to squeeze things in and blogging slips constantly to the back of the pile. Admit it - if just for you it usually is the first thing to fall off the plate. 

The thing is if we are behind the eight ball now what will we be like before the holidays? Scrambling fast. We want to enjoy the holidays - well any season period. We decided we have to take control and say no and set a time for us. Even if 15 minutes to read. You see those posts if you read 10 minutes a day you will read XX books a year. If you walk 15 minutes a day you will have walked XX in a year. You know the drill.

So we are going to take that 10-15 minutes. Even if it means sitting in the car before going inside after work. Listening to music, read a few pages, write to do, whatever.  We need that ten minutes to start to feel we are trying to get a handle on things.

Deep breath. How are you doing?  

Summer to do list

 Summer to do list!

Better late then never!  Please add yours in the comments! Of course we will be adding more if anything comes up and catches our eyes!

• Week at the cottage
• Days at the beach
• Cocktails and Coolers (try new ones out for the summer)
• Drinks on a patio
• Camping
• Try a few new summer recipes - likely dips
• Pick out paint colour for bathroom (won't be painting until fall and cooler but would like the colour chosen so ready to go!)
• Summer reads - recommendations welcome
• Audiobooks (started a new series and soooo enjoying)
• Picnics
• Check out festivals
• Day drives down the coast

Starting our fall to do list

 A few of us love to sit and make a list.  It feels satisficing to cross something off a list.  A list gives focus. Something to work around and on.  We have started our fall list of things we want to check out and do. It might seem early but having the list before September seems like we have things under control. We might not but can think that with list in hand!

So below are some of our items we have started putting on our fall list.  We will be adding it to for sure as time goes on. 

•  After a hot summer and vacations we are ready to get back to book club.  We have a few books on the list already.  Our plan is to have a book a month already set for September - December. Four books.
• Tossing or donating summer clothes that we are so through with.  Or are falling apart.
• Picking a fun fall craft to do for girls night.
• Getting those last few patio dates in - even if the heaters are on.
• Paint spare bedroom/office.  When not humid.
• Clean out linen closet
• Fall hikes in - best weather for hikes!!
• Go through pictures on phone.  Delete. Print. Undecided.
• Book massage
• Back to theater season

Let us know what is on your fall to do list!

Plus book recommendations always welcomed

Last three months of the year

 How is that possible? The days are long but the weeks/months have been fast. The weather is definitely fall here. Warmer days and cooler nights. Which is fine after the humidity we have experienced. Okay I'm not talking for ALL of us but I'm the one typing so........   

We were talking about getting some focus now that the seasons are changing. School back in. Summer vacations over.  That lead to projects or goals we wanted off our plate before we roll into a new year. The following is what we will be concentrating on.

In no particular order.....

• Meal prep.  Start making soups and chili that can be frozen. The plan is to listen to a podcast or audiobook while chopping, and prepping.  
• Paper - seriously pull it out and go through it.  Taxes, receipts, instructions (do we even still have that item?), cards and paper period.
• Get back into book club. Pick a book and a date. Done
• Clean out linen closet
• Organize the garage.  
• Organize the photos on phone.  This feels daunting. Plan is to break it down into small pieces of time. 10-15 minutes here and there. Maybe start with deleting duplicates and out of focus. 
• Schedule and hopefully have a dentist and doctor appointments have been putting off

What do you have on your list to check off before the end of the year?  We would love to hear it! Maybe we'll have to add to ours.