Hey friends! How is it already the end of April??! Where did the time go?! This month just seemed to fly by, didn’t it? Yowzah. And now May is a mere day away and I’m dreaming of sunshine and summer plans! I. Can’t. Wait. Check out what I’ve been up to recently as part of this month’s installment of Life Lately!
Like I mentioned above, this month just sped on past me. I was busy this month, working on blog posts, photographing a wedding, working on my software coding job, and a bunch of other things inbetween. You’ll remember in last month’s Life Lately post, our puppy, Pippa, was having some medical issues. Luckily we were able to deduce what was going on – she has a liver shunt – so now we can properly treat her with a strict diet and about 4 different medications 3 times a day. Phew! She has now become a very high maintenance dog, but we are so glad that she’s alive and healthy!
What I’m Reading: I’m still reading the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. I’m on book 3, and I’m just gonna say it: I’m obsessed. Holy mother. Adventure, time travel, danger, romance, history, Scotland…. need I say more? I kid you not, I finished the second book (which is about 1,000 pages of teeny tiny text) in the course of a few days. It’s that good and I’m that fast. Yep. Get on it people.
What I’m Binge-Watching: …. Outlander… Hah. As I mentioned above, Outlander is my latest obsession, so you can imagine my delight when I realized that Starz is currently making the series into a television program! *cue chorus of angels* The problem? We don’t subscribe to Starz. Amazing discovery? You can get a free week-long trial of Starz on Amazon Prime. SCORE. So I literally did have to binge-watch all of the episodes (18 episodes, each an hour long) over the week trial so I could see them all before it expired! I also am still going through Gilmore Girls while I’m blogging and doing my software coding job. And of course, when I’m with the hubby, we are always watching our two favorite shows – Grimm and The Blacklist.
What I’m Creating: Creating is something I do everyday for the blog! I’ve been making quite a few projects with my Silhouette CAMEO (the ultimate dream crafting tool) – I plan on making some cool t-shirts and home decor pieces over the next few weeks. I just cannot stop using that awesome machine!
What I’m Needing: More free time! I will say this, compared to last month, April has actually been much less stressful and I’ve been better about finding a routine that works for me. That said, I really do wish I had more free time in my life for pursuing things that I care about – spending time with the hubby, reading, maybe learning an instrument or something.
What I’m Listening to: John Mayer and Mumford and Sons are usually on repeat around here. I just get so inspired by their music and Mumford’s banjo just riles me up! But if I’m honest, most of the day I spend in quiet – no music, no TV (unless I’m bingeing on a show). I can focus better when there isn’t much noise and I feel more creative when I can let my mind wander.
What I’m Wearing: Yoga pants. (Big surprise there) but I actually am using them for what they were intended for – working out! I’ve picked my workout schedule back up and now do 30 minutes on the elliptical and situps/push ups in the mornings. I am decidedly not a running person, but I actually have been looking forward to my work out times in the morning (gasp!) and I’ve been feeling so much better about myself. I’ve kept it up for 2 weeks so far, I hope I can keep the momentum going!
What I’m Dreaming about: I’m dreaming about getting back to work on some book ideas I’ve had floating around in my head. It’s always been a dream and life goal of mine to write novels and doing all this great reading lately has inspired me to think about picking it back up again. I’m not sure when I will find the time, but I realized that if it’s something I really want to pursue, then I’m going to have to make it work!
What I’m Worried about: My brother-in-law gets married next month and it still feels like everything is a bit disorganized. We are going out-of-state to South Dakota and figuring out lodging, car, flights, etc. has been a bit confusing, plus making sure my husband has everything he will need as best man. I’m just hoping that once it finally comes to it that things run smoothly and there aren’t any last-minute problems!
What I’m Excited For: SUNSHINE. We had a few crazy days of 80 degrees in April, but since then it’s been all blustery and rainy. Here’s hoping that it really is “in like a lion and out like a lamb” and that the nice weather returns to stay! I’m excited for more time at the beach, eating ice cream, going on hikes, and generally being out in nature instead of cooped up inside.
What I’m Learning: I’m learning how to live in the present. As a dreamer and creative person, I often sort of get lost in the clouds. I get lost in books and the worlds stay with me for a long time. I imagine things as they could be. I spend a lot of time in thought. It’s great to look ahead and to dream, but I’m trying hard to spend more time in the present, enjoying who and what is around me at any given moment!
What I’m Loving: Life. I actually feel pretty peaceful about life right now, despite all the busyness and franticness. Since I’ve started working out more, and making more time to take care of myself, I’ve felt a lot better about life and the world. I feel better about myself and the life I’m living and I’m excited to see where it takes me!
What’s new in your world?