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Monday, July 30, 2018

Postcards from July + Current Favorites

Happy Monday everyone! It is the very last Monday of the month which is a little bittersweet. In exactly four weeks I head back to work for teacher meetings and preparation days, and five weeks from tomorrow it will be the first day of school.  While I love my job and I am excited to start my second year of teaching, I am equally loving these summer days. This summer has been the most relaxing one for me in several years.  It has certainly provided me with the time to recharge my batteries to start a new year feeling refreshed and ready to go.  I figured there was no better way than to give you some postcards highlighting my adventures from the month. 

The month of July has been jam packed with lots of fun.  I really felt like each week I ended up packing my bag, unpacking my bag, and doing laundry on repeat each week. Of the five weekends of the month, I only spent one of them at home.  I started the month off with an impromptu decision to spend ten full days at a family friend's beach house, which was probably the best thing I could have done for myself. The trip was filled with a little bit of alone time, time with friends and family, fireworks, a shopping spree or two, naps, reading time, good eats, morning runs alongside the beach, bonfires, reading on the porch during rainy days, and some time for reflection. 

Seriously, if you ever have the opportunity to take ten full days to simply treat yourself to complete relaxation..do it. You will not regret it one bit. I came back from the trip feeling so reenergized that it made me realize how run down I actually was.  Sometimes I think we stuff our calendars to the point of overload without even knowing it and eventually we reach a point where it just becomes too much. This is why it is important to take a step back and evaluate where you are in life and what you need to do to take care of yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally. 




The month of July also reunited me with friends from college that I haven't seen in awhile.  My one friend came down from New Jersey to visit for a weekend. Our original  plan of a beach weekend turned into a staycation.  We started off the weekend at Taylor Swift's hometown concert in Philadelphia. Saturday we explored a new winery on the water followed by a night out on my back patio. We ended the weekend with a stop at our favorite brunch spot for lattes, eggs, and a little shopping before I took her back to catch her bus home. It was one of those weekends where I remembered the importance of having real friends who just get you. 


The following weekend Todd and I left Thursday night to make the seven hour drive down to North Carolina. Mid way down, around midnight, he looked at me and asked why he never questioned me wanting to leave so late Thursday night.  We laughed a little and continued driving until we reached our destination just before 3am.  There is something about a long drive that can be a great bonding experience: a shared frustration over traffic, the dance parties that break out when you've had too much caffeine, the long life talks you have during the boring stretches of the trip, and the life planning you do while driving on long stretches of the highway. After sleeping in Friday morning and having a full day to explore and spend time with our friends, Todd finally realized why he trusted me enough to drive through the night. Friday was filled with hiking, coffee chats, enjoying the nice weather, homemade pizza, and a late night catching up with our friends. Saturday was a great day complete with a new breakfast recipe, paddle boarding on the lake, a nap, and an afternoon shopping, eating, and drinking in downtown Greensboro.  Sunday morning we went to brunch and made the long drive home.  I'm working on a guide to Greensboro to share with y'all in the near future!




Last minute, I decided to go this past weekend with my parents and brother to visit family friends in Avalon, New Jersey. Growing up spending summers at the Delaware beaches, I definitely have a biased opinion that the Jersey Shore just doesn't quite compare to Delaware. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how cute Avalon was. The quaint town with cute shops and delicious places to eat was actually quite enjoyable.  We rode our bikes everywhere, spent a morning floating in the bay, laid out on the beach, and enjoyed some family time. One of my favorite parts of the trip was trying an acai bowl for the first time. It was seriously amazing. I'm searching for recipes to make one at home. If you make your own, please send me your recipe, tips, and tricks!



Between weekend trips, I spent the month coaching and playing field hockey, running, going to classes at the gym, reading, preparing for the school year, and spending time with friends and family that I don't always get to see during the year because life is too crazy. 






Currently July Edition:

Eating & Drinking: Eggs + Ole Bay & Coffee + Almond Milk 

Reading: Everything for middle schoolers. I have read so many great YA Lit books this summer. My co-workers and I formed this informal book club accidentally in our exploration for new books to share with our students. It has become such a fun way to find new books and talk about them with people who are equally as nerdy as I am when it comes to how passionate we are about our jobs. 

Watching: Southern Cham 

Shopping: Target sale + Amazon Prime Day + a few boutiques
Maybe a shopping haul post to come soon?

Blog Posts To Read:

XOXO





16 comments:

  1. How cute! Seems like you have had a super fun month!

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  2. Girl you've been on so many fun trips!! Still can't believe we were in Greensboro the same weekend! My PTO doesn't begin at my new job until this fall, but I'm hoping to take a relaxing longer vacation in winter or spring for sure!

    xoxo A
    www.southernbelleintraining.com

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  3. This is so fun! I have a blog post series called Life Lately that is super similar! I love being able to share my every day life with my readers as well as informational/helpful posts. Love it!

    Kendra B
    www.helga-marie.com

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  4. Looks like you're having an amazing summer! Congrats on Year Two of teaching!!!!

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  5. Sounds like you had a fun-filled July! How awesome you got to go paddleboarding!

    xo Deborah
    Coffee, Prose, and Pretty Clothes

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  6. A lovely post
    hope you had a lovely Monday?

    NEW POST
    https://www.melodyjacob.com/2018/07/simply-be-swimdresses.html

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  7. It sounds like July was an awesome month for you! I must try Old Bay on my eggs next time. Thanks for the recommendation :)

    I hope August is just as wonderful for you!

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  8. What a great July you've had! I'm heading to the beach this Saturday--can't wait :)

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  9. Sounds like you had such a great month! I am ready to go on my vacation in August haha. I need a little break.

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  10. I love reading YA books too! I try to mix it up with some non-fiction and classic literature, but there's something so heartwarming about a good YA novel!

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  11. wow, it sure looks like you had a busy and fun month :)

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  12. What a busy month! Thanks to this post, I might have to go out and get an acai bowl tomorrow--that one looks delicious!

    Molly // Miss Molly Moon

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  13. It looks like you've had such a fun and busy couple of weeks. So jealous about the Taylor Swift concert!

    Greta

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  14. Soungs like you had a great month! Hoping for an even more exciting August!

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  15. What a fun and busy month! July is my favorite!

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