Hello hello, and welcome to Episode 89 and Season Four of Life On the Brink!
It’s so nice to be back. The month of May is consistently very busy for me as both a teacher and performer, and this year I also spent the past week at a beach house with my family. It was a lovely, lazy, celebratory week that (for me, anyway) has brought us into the summer season!
Summertime is always so full of possibilities. The earth is bringing forth new flowers and fruits every week, the sun makes the days ever longer, and I always find that there’s a nice kind of relaxation that comes with summer. The pressure is off, so let’s enjoy each day to the fullest.
To that end, in today’s episode I’m sharing a few “bucket list” items for this summer, as well as my summer reading list. I’m also bringing back my Summer Reading Challenge and I invite you to join me!
What’s in my teacup? I’m back to basics with the Paris black tea by Harney and Sons.
Now, before I share my Bucket List for this summer, I just wanted to add a little note. Notice that above I stressed the fact that “the pressure is off,” so I invite you to keep that in mind when making your own list for this season. This isn’t designed to be a checklist that stresses you out, or something to be taken too seriously. I personally enjoy seasonal goals because, in essence, it forces me to have fun and enjoy the season. If I don’t “check off” every item by the end of summer, that’s ok! Sometimes when schedules get busy or when I have a free Saturday with nothing to do, it can be tricky to try something new or remember to actually do the things you love to do. Enter: the bucket list.
MY SUMMER BUCKET LIST
*at least the top 3 items. Surprise, they’re all house-related.*
-finish our new office renovation. Over the past couple of months I’ve slowly been painting, wallpapering, and prepping what will be mine and Josh’s new home office. It’s the first upstairs room that we’re tackling, and the goal is to replace the flooring, then move and organize the majority of our unpacked items. I can’t wait to work in a designated space again!
-refresh the walls and cabinets in the kitchen. Essentially, phase one. I’ve got plans to do a tin tile ceiling and I still don’t know whether to paint the cabinets, but I want to get things going so our kitchen can start to feel like us.
-host my first dinner party in the new house! Now that I have a dining table that can seat 6, my plan is to host my parents and parents-in-law for this first dinner. I think I have the menu sorted out, but I’ll let you know how it goes!
MY SUMMER READING LIST
Last year, I brought forward my Summer Reading Challenge, in which we all set a book goal for the summer, then treat ourselves to a trip to the bookstore when we’re done (it’s highly inspired by the Barnes and Noble summer challenge for kids). Check out Episode 57 to hear more about it, and jump in with me!
Here’s my list for this summer!
-Happy Place by Emily Henry
-Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
-Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
-Home Sweet Maison: The French Art of Making a Home by Danielle Postel-Vinay
-MEG #2 The Trench by Steve Alten
-A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
With a few projects and a lot of books, I’m hoping this summer is both productive and relaxing. I’m really trying to take away a lot of expectations and just enjoy, and I encourage you to join me! Let your curiosity guide you through your summer day: enjoy a glass of iced tea, walk a new trail, head to the beach, enjoy long evenings with friends, or just lose track of time.
This is a magical time of year, and if you’re feeling the summer magic, feel free to check out these previous episodes.
I’m very excited for Season Four of this podcast, thank you for joining me!
This Week’s Little Joy: An afternoon with Josh. Last week we, along with my family, stayed at a beach house in Duck, North Carolina. One of my favorite moments from the week was actually on our last day when Josh and I took a long walk into town. We enjoyed iced lattes and a chocolate chip cookie at a local coffee shop/bookstore called Duck’s Cottage (it was adorable). I also went home with a print of a very colorful painting that hangs in the shop. We walked a total of 3.5 miles and enjoyed our spontaneous date.
What I’m Listening To: “Look For the Good” by Jason Mraz. This album is a bit different from his previous stuff, but it’s 100% a summer vibe. The lyrics are light and uplifting and it has a very ska/reggae feel throughout the whole album, while still very much sounding like Jason Mraz. Great tunes for the pool or beach.
Thank you so much for listening!
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Have a lovely week and I'll be back soon with a new episode!