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Tuesday, July 11


Just quickly popping in to let you guys know that some images on the blog may not be working for a bit... for the past 8+ years I've been using Photobucket to host any of my non-photo images (pretty much all the blog design stuff, and anything for the Fun Finds Friday posts, Netflix posts, etc), but Photobucket suddenly decided to stop hosting 3rd party photos unless you pay them an absurd fee. So I'm in the process of migrating everything over to my Flickr account, and then I have to go through each individual post and change each link. I have 700+ posts. Yeah, it's a process. I'm not happy about it. So bear with me while I switch everything over! Thank you!

Also, I've been thinking about switching the blog over to Wordpress for a while now, and I think this may be the push I need. So before I get too involved in moving photos, do any other bloggers have tips or good references for how to make the Blogger >>> Wordpress switch? I'd really appreciate it!

I love you all! Thank you for sticking with me!

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Summer Bucket List

Thursday, July 6


Go hiking & visit a waterfall. - When Shawn and I first moved out here (8 years ago...) we were so excited to visit nearby parks and go hiking. And yet, here we are, years later, and we haven't gone on a single hike (out here anyway - we were more proactive that year we lived in NJ...) I keep coming across a post about all the waterfalls in Pennsylvania, and I've been meaning to get to one. So that's a goal - by the end of this summer we will have gone on (at least) one hike and seen a waterfall!

Visit Centralia, PA. - Speaking of visiting things, we've been talking about checking out this old mining town for a few years now as well. It's now a ghost town, after an underground fire forced most of the population out of town. It's one of those off-the-beaten-track tourist attractions, and I'm determined to make it there this summer!

Bike 25 miles. There's a trail that runs through the suburbs and into center city Philly, and a friend and I have been biking parts of it. I'm determined to make it all the way downtown by the end of the summer... from where we start on the trail, it's about a 25 mile roundtrip. So far we're doing about half of that! I think we can do it.

Buy a disposable camera, take photos. I read this post when I was initially coming up with this list, and felt inspired to buy a disposable camera and use it up. There's just something about the moments you capture with film that is so much more memorable than pulling out your phone and snapping a photo. Just sitting here right now, I'm visually recalling a catalog of photos from summer camp, school trips, good times with friends... I don't have that same memory/connection to photos I've taken with my phone. So, more physical photos, please.

Watch more TED Talks. There are so many fucking TED Talks out there, are you aware of that??? I feel like I've only skimmed the surface... and I'm determined to watch more. I mean, every TED Talk leads to another similar TED Talk, and then that one leads to more... and next thing you know, two hours have gone by and your eyes are strained and your brain feels fuzzy with energy. I've been trying to start the habit of taking notes when I watch, since I tend to be a pretty passive audience. It seems to help me absorb the Talk better, so let's keep that up!

Stop for ice cream. I'm determined to get some really freakin' good ice cream this summer. There's Franklin Fountain downtown, which I've only been to on one other occasion. And there's a creamery I remember going to after picking pumpkins three years ago; they had an abundance of amazing options. Anyways, I see plenty of good ice cream in my future.

Get more plants for the apartment. I know it's getting a little late in the season to be buying plants, but our apartment really needs some love. We moved all the indoor plants outside for the summer and now the apartment feels so empty! I enjoy picturing the balcony surrounded by plants on all sides, but we're not there yet. And Sylvester is a plant fiend... so that makes it difficult for us to have plants near floor-level.

Send more snail mail. I am the worst pen pal. I mean, really... I buy all the cute stationary and think about what to say, but then never actually write the letters. But I love getting letters in the mail, and I really enjoy putting together little packages for people! Just have to work on the actual writing part. And I need more pen pals!

Get my yoga website up and running. Doing this by the end of summer is a pipe dream. Realistically, I'll probably need until late fall... but a girl can dream! Hm... or maybe a girl can do yoga and design a website.


What's on your bucket list this summer?

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Currently...

Saturday, July 1


Watching: Hulu. I signed up a free 30-day trial and we decided to stay subscribed. Shawn was getting tired of Netflix and wants me to cancel it, but I like some of the things Netflix has to offer that Hulu doesn't! I won't lie though, I have been thoroughly enjoying catching up on the latest season of New Girl, and having every single episode of Seinfeld at my fingertips. We also had an Arnold day recently and watched The 6th Day and Terminator Genisys. And, we've been watching Fargo, the tv show... I've only seen four episodes, but Shawn has been breezing through it. I like it so far though!

Listening: To the rain tapping against the windows. We've had the most summery summer weather lately - mid day rain storms and then the sun rolls back in. I love it, but I don't love the humidity that comes with it. We're trying our hardest not to buy an A/C this summer, but the constant rain & humidity are making this très difficile.

Eating: All the summer vegetables, veggie burgers, and slow cooker meals. If you follow my Instagram stories at all, you've probably seen my Wednesday Farmers Market stories. I get so excited about going to the farmer's market each week! It's fun to see what's new and to know that we're eating and supporting local produce. I've also started buying veggie burgers from Trader Joe's... they have so many good options! We like to cook those up and top them with guacamole, lettuce, and tomatoes on a brioche bun, with some chips on the side for lunch. And I've been using our slow cooker too - I usually don't think about it until winter, but it occurred to me that it makes more sense to use it in the summer when it's too hot to use the oven/stove. So far I've made brisket, and shredded chicken tacos.

Drinking: Beer. This is nothing new, except that my self-imposed goal for the month of June was to not drink any beer, mostly to check in with how my body felt without it. Well, I felt way less bloated and way less tired, but 20 days in I decided I was craving a beer and now I'm just trying to drink it less often. I will say this - I've been able to pick up on the subtleties in flavor way more since taking a break from it!

Making: Hair wraps. I've been inspired by some I saw on Instagram, so I pulled out my embroidery thread and figured it'd be a fun DIY to tackle while mindlessly sitting in front of the tv. I have all kinds of fun beads I bought at a little bead shop over ten years ago but never used - it's amusing to see what 20-year-old me was into. Now, if only I can motivate myself to reupholster our couch....

Feeling: Sunburnt, and sad. I spent a few hours hanging out at a friend's pool yesterday and apparently didn't do a very good job of applying sunscreen to my back. Annnnd now I'm paying for it - whoops! And sad because one of my parents' dogs passed yesterday, and even though I didn't live with her for long, she still loved me unconditionally and was always excited to see me when I would visit. She was a really sweet dog, super smart, and playful as a puppy even in her older years. She had an awesome life and got to travel to more places than a lot of humans do. Luna, you are missed.

Stressing about: Work. We've picked up some new accounts, so our workload is a bit heavier than it has been. It doesn't help that every single week for the next two months we have someone on vacation, so I may have to work some extra shifts to help out. I don't mind the extra money (duh.), but I've found I can't physically handle working 6 days a week anymore. My job is incredibly physical, and it's easy to get burnt out. I also teach yoga on one of my days off, so when I work 6 days a week at the bakery, it's really really hard to find the energy to teach yoga on my only day off. But, I'll get through it! Always do.

Excited for: Incubus! Going to see them play with Jimmy Eat World on the 20th. I've been looking forward to this concert since buying the tickets in March! (Incubus is my favorite.) That's all I have lined up for July, but the Renaissance Faire starts in August and we already have a few Saturdays lined up to go! We love it, and we love that all the friends we've introduced to it over the years call us up each summer and say "Hey! We better be going to Ren Faire this year!" :) AND now that it's summertime, Shawn and I look forward to being able to spend some time downtown. Philly clears out on the weekends because everyone goes to the shore - it's my favorite time of year to wander around the city, because it feels so empty!

Busy with: Keeping up with friends, and yoga. I'm not very good at relaxing, and I tend to overbook myself, especially during the summer. But I can't resist spending time with friends when they're available. And I've been teaching two classes a week at two different studios, as well as going to at least one or two classes a week, so yoga keeps me pretty busy too. But these are all good things! I know I need to teach myself to schedule time to wind down, but until then, I'll enjoy the various brunches and adventures while I can. But, I am pretty thankful that this is the only weekend in July where I have things planned... though I know it won't stay that way for long!

What have you been up to?

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