Sweet potatoes, glad you are here for my summer bucket list update 08.2021. Now I am two months into work on this list and have fared pretty well. Check me out!!
UPDATE 08.2021: MY SUMMER BUCKET LIST
Here’s what I have accomplished so far this summer. Some of these check marks were earned before my first update in June.
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BODY
- Another new hike – Hueco Tanks or Sitting Bull Falls or maybe we will get to the Tin Mines. This was an activity on my spring list and we did investigate a new hike but not any of the ones I wanted to investigate. So, I am going to try again.
- Skin cancer screening – Have had this on my wellness goals for over a year. It is going to happen this season. Had this done a few weeks ago. And had some skin tags removed and biopsied at the same time. Everything came back all clear.
- Meet and maintain within 2 pounds lifetime Weight Watchers weight – My lifetime weight is 138. I was 139.8 on Saturday. Need to get to 138 and stay there!!
Still working on this. Working out better again and tracking my WW points. Stay tuned.
HEART
- Beach vacation – South Padre Island; we will be vacationing with family and celebrating all the birthdays together. Gimme that big green checkmark, this is done, son!!
- Balloon fest or water park – Would like to do both of these activities. Hoping Brennyn can come in September and go to the Balloon Fest with us. Thinking Lauren and I can let Cia and Cami play hooky and take the girls to the water park one day. Pending. The balloon fest is early in September while Matt is visiting. Afraid the water parks are probably already closed. With our mask requirements not sure if we’d want to do this anyway.
- Farmer’s market and food truck rodeo in northeast El Paso – If you live in northeast El Paso, you have probably joined me in bemoaning the fact that we have so few activities in our own backyard. The best restaurants and stores are on the east or west sides of town. When I heard we were getting our own farmer’s market out here, I immediately added it to my summer bucket list. Not yet. Maybe while my step-son Matt is here. I think he would like the food trucks.
MIND
- Write meaningful blog posts – I have been saying that I want to redirect my blog to my original focus. Life after retirement. And writing. Going to force that to happen by putting it on my bucket list. I was invited to guest post for my blogging friend Leeanne at Cresting the Hill that went live on 08.02.2021. You can read it, here. Then wrote this follow up post on my blog. Now to make this a regular occurrence.
- Game night once a month – Over the winter we had several game nights and really enjoyed them. Want to bring them back. And maybe have a game night in South Padre, too.
- Summer twist for reading club – My online reading club has been going for several years now and we are up to almost 100 members. This summer, I want to jazz things up and try something new with the gang. This is still in the works. Might do a virtual meet up with the gang. Polling members now to see what they would like to do.
SPIRIT
- Write one Thankful Thursday post a month – Want to return to joining my friend Rebecca at Knit By God’s Hand for this series. Rebecca Jo has asked me to help cohost this series and I’ve been honored to oblige. Find my most recent Thankful Thursday post, here.
- Start new prayer journal – Bumped from spring. Going to start using the Prayer Journal for Women: 52 Week Scripture, Devotional & Guided Prayer Journal.
- Photo scavenger hunt for summer – Blogging friends Mary-Jo, Ruth and Deb all participate in the summer photo scavenger hunt. I am going to join them. Taking photographs is one way to become more aware in the beauty in the world. You can find the prompts, here. I have started participated in 2 scavenger hunt updates; here’s the latest one. The final update will be 10.01.2021, so you still have time to join us!!
STYLE
- Share a beach style post – Don’t worry, this won’t be me in a bikini!! But want to share some of the looks I pack for our summer vacation. This didn’t happen exactly like I planned. Had hoped to get some photos of my new summer sundress when we went to eat but things were just too crazy. Bought matching Old Navy tees for everyone, too, thinking we could do a family photo but that wasn’t to be either. Here’s what I wore on the plane, though. Does that count? I think I deserve a check mark for effort. Like my c’est la sea sweatshirt? You can pick up one here, on sale!!
- Purge summer clothes not worn in 2 years – Now that I am volunteering some at the Clothes Closet, I want to donate those warm weather clothes I haven’t worn in a long time. I have purged but I need to get back in there to gather things I haven’t worn this summer or last. Made my first Poshmark sale yesterday. Woo hoo!!
- Update my pajama game – Poor PC. He will appreciate this one. I really need to do better in the pj department. Time to toss the raggedy pajamas and gowns and replace them with something new. I have done some tossing but haven’t replaced the tossed pieces yet. Love the colors and print in this lemon zest short sleep set but that price tag is waaaaaay beyond my means.
TASTE BUDS
- Try new treat – Maybe Teapioca boba tea or Aurora rolling ice cream or Nonotelo gelato. Are any of these nummy things familiar to you?
- Find a new breakfast restaurant – No bright ideas for this activity yet. But I am tired of iHop. Need to find some place to try. Seems like this would be easy but now with Covid raging again, I almost don’t want to go out to eat.
- Try 3 new recipes – Using my air fryer, follow my Pinterest board Air Fryer Foodie and/or using my bread machine, follow my Pinterest board Baking Bread. I have these fancy appliances and need to use them. Did bake a pretty scrumptious loaf of Hawaiian bread lately in the bread machine. Have used my air fryer for French fries, tater tots, butterfly shrimp, etc. Have all the ingredients to make this air fryer cajun shrimp. Maybe this weekend.
Correct me if I’m wrong but by my count I have completed 11 out of 18 activities. More than half with only one month left to go. Can I earn that coveted green check mark for every activity before 09.21.2021 and my last update. We’ll find out.
Your Turn
What have you enjoyed doing to keep yourself active and occupied over the long summer days? Please share in a comment below, or on my blog FB page, here. Or if you have a summer fun blog post, please join the linky party.
Our monsoon season seems to be winding down. PC is hopeful that tomorrow’s baseball game won’t be rained out. He took the afternoon off today and we had a massage and an early dinner out. We have a mask mandate in effect again requiring that we wear masks indoors in public places. I understand but it doesn’t make doing so any less tiresome. The 3 main school districts in the El Paso area are requiring masks be worn by students and staff, too. How are things where you are?
Thank you for running by. Wishing you and yours a healthy, restful weekend.
Hugs and kisses,
Wow, you are doing so well in accomplishing your goals! I’ve never made a summer bucket list (I have three little ones–ages 6, 5, and 2–so I’m still in the season of simply trying to survive each day!). I think this is a great idea, though.
A note on air fryer recipes…I’ve had great success preparing homemade chicken fingers, steak bites, and asparagus in ours! We really love it. I’ll have to check out your Pinterest board of recipes.
Asparagus in the air fryer!! Huh!! I just saw a recipe for ‘fried’ zucchini in the air fryer. Might be able to get my Prince C. to eat more veggies if they were ‘fried’.
I’m actually relieved I didn’t add anything about my WW Goal to my bucket list… I am really struggling to drop those last pounds! (it doesn’t help that I keep eating sweets and junk either).
Me, too, girl…as I drink a Miller Lite and nibble on chips.
Oh, my ambitious friend! I admire you and all your goals. I’m happy if I just get my garden weeded.
You’ve got lots going on and that beach fun looked totally wonderful!
Thanks for hosting! 🙂
Thank you for coming by.
I’m seeing lots of lovely ticks here. I loved the post you wrote for Leanne & your follow up – both so raw and thought provoking. My daughter recently bought herself an air fryer and I had a lot of fun playing with it when I was in hervey Bay with her the other week.
I always enjoy your photos from Bay visits to your daughter’s house. So beautiful. And life seems to move at a slower pace when you are there, with reading and wine on the balcony or patio. And those views!! I want to learn to use my air fryer with something other than French fries. Hope to have a great recipe to share using it next update.
I see a lot of green ticks on this list! Well done!
Awesome aaccomplishments, Leslie. You continue to inspire me!
Thank you, Donna. Had hoped to try gelato this weekend and tick that off the list but wound up making dessert here at home. Can look forward to gelato next weekend, I guess.
Nice work Leslie. Your list is coming right along. I love those lemon pajamas, but I get what you’re saying about the price. It’s a lot to pay for something to sleep in…unless of course, you reeeaaallllly love them, in which case you should have them. I’ve started tracking WW points again too, with a focus on eating real food, not too much, mostly plants. I’m hoping it will help me shed the COVID weight. I am back in the office and the gym, so that should help as well. I may be interested in the book club when you start the next book. That could be one of my 60 new things before 60! Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Oh, would love to have you join the book club. It is very low key, though. So if you are looking for something that offers lots of stimulating discussion, this might not be the right fit. We vote on a book a month and read it together and do some superficial – for the most part – discussion but that works for us.
I start WW and then forget to continue. But have tracked today. And feel like maybe I am ready to get serious again. And to get back to more regular exercise. We are going to work out this week faithfully if it kills us!!
Great update, good job on all of your check marks!
Thank you. Still a ways to go, but I think I can do it!!
I did really bad at my summer goals! Oops!! I think the only one we really stuck to was trying a new breakfast place every other week. But, we did have a lot of fun doing that!! All of those things to try on your sweet tooth list sound yummy! We are starting to peak and go down here in St. Louis with Covid finally! Finger crossed.
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
How are your Covid numbers looking now? We are going up. And the kids are being required to wear masks in school. I’ve been asked to sub and tutor but I think that ship has sailed. I don’t want to put myself or my family in danger of contracting Covid any more than they already are. We still haven’t tried a new breakfast place but loved the one you shared. Will try to make that happen this weekend.
I’ve been so busy I didn’t create any bucket lists. Love following along with yours! Family game nights are the best! The photo scavenger hunt is such a cool idea. Congrats on your first Poshmark sale! Also, that Hawaiian bread sounds delicious!
Jill – Doused in Pink
The Hawaiian bread was so tasty. Need to make it again. Glad to be reminded of it. Need to pull up my bucket list and see how I am doing…afraid summer is about gone.