NEW this Summer

Unbeknownst to me, this summer would turn out to be a summer full of new (to me) things.... and, I must say, I think I'm a fan of all the new! It's been pretty interesting taking on some new and different routines, habits, and experiences without really planning to, but so far (during the summer at least!) I'm enjoying them all. 

So I compiled a detailed list for future reference, pros and cons, the sake of memory, etc. Because these things need to be documented. 😊

NEW THIS SUMMER

1. The first thing new that happened this summer began at the very end of post-planning before I was officially even out of school for the summer.... I signed up to begin selling Mary Kay. Whaaaaa?!? Hahaha. Definitely not in my future plans or anything I thought I might be doing this summer! My parapro actually started selling it earlier this school year and brought all of her goodies to post-planning one day so we could experiment and test out all of the products once we finished up our school stuff for the day. Sooo, on a total whim, I talked about it with Terrell and with his blessing, signed up. Ha! I've been using various Mary Kay products since high school and once I got a preview of their new skincare regimen/line, it was basically love at first sight/feel and I was hooked. And selling it seemed to be the best fit for us in terms of benefitting from discounts and such. It's been really fun so far and I LOVE the products I'm using now. They're effective, they're easy to use, a little goes a long way, they smell great, and they're affordable. So all around awesome. 😊 I'm planning to continue selling as long as I can, but I'm not positive what that will look like during the school year. So we'll see how it goes and what God's plan looks like. For now, I'm just thankful for my little side job and enjoying my skincare products and make-up. 

2. The second new thing that happened this summer is probably the only thing that I was intentional about entering the summer..... LAPS IN THE POOL!! Haha! Since the beginning stages of dreaming of a pool for our new home, I've wanted to swim for exercise. So once the dream was finally realized, I've done just that. Now, I was waaaaaay out of shape entering the summer. So swimming for exercise was challenging. I mean swimming a few laps was exhausting and required taking breaks at various points so as not to put myself in danger. But, all summer I've swam laps every time we swim (minus a few times that we've had company and I haven't been able to swim before or after), and now I'm swimming 20 laps every single time!! TWENTY! I feel like a triathlon athlete out there! (Minus the running and biking part, haha) But seriously, 20 laps non-stop is a big deal. I'm hoping to make it to 30 laps before swim season is over. We'll see! It's going to be hard to swim multiple times a week once school starts back. Boo.

3. The next habit that formed this summer is possibly because of swimming almost every single day..... night showers! I haven't showered at night consistently since high school but this summer, night showers made a comeback that I'm hoping will continue during the school year! I started at the beginning of the summer when I first began swimming almost daily. I think I just wanted to wash my hair and be able to use conditioner and get a brush through it before bed. Haha. But then once I started, I LOVED it. It makes me feel clean, refreshed, and relaxed in the evenings and before putting on pjs…. something I didn't even know I was missing, and it's made my mornings this summer SO much easier and faster!! This new summer habit is the one I'm most concerned about going back to school. I mean once school starts our evenings are going to be super full, I'm going to be super worn out, my bedtime is going to be much earlier, and my wake-up time is going to be much earlier. Sigh. It's going to be tough but I really don't want to give up my night time showers. They are just the best. And they are also what led to my 4th new thing this summer.....

4. A new do! 😊 Once I tried out showering at night and pulling my hair up into a bun (still wet)while I stayed up to watch a show or read or whatever before going to bed, I woke up with wavy, damp hair. Woohoo! So then I tested out a few products to find out what would work best for me, and now all I do is let my hair down each morning while I'm getting ready and scrunch and "fluff" it with some curling defining cream. That's it! No hair dryer, curling iron, flat iron, heating element of any kind is needed!! It takes me all of 5 minutes! #praisehands #awesomeness #itsthelittlethings After YEARS of fighting my hair every single morning for waaaay too long, this has been super exciting! 😊😊😊 And, I no longer have to wash it daily. Which is a huge bonus! The nights I don't wash it, I usually wear it up the following day in a bun or pony tail, or I have the option of brushing it out and adding a few curls with the curling iron. The possibilities are endless. Hahaha! I am VERY excited about easier and faster mornings getting ready and being able to sleep a little later..... but I'm also pretty nervous about not having a shower to help me wake up. I can't be in sleep-walking mode when I get to school. I just don't function well that way. I need plenty of time to get awake good before I'm good to go for the day. Soooo, only time will tell if this new gig with the new do (made possible by the night showers) will last. #eeesh

5. Yet another new thing that started this summer is listening to podcasts! I'm always late to every single digital/technology party. Always. It just takes me a while to get on board I guess. Of course I'd heard of podcasts before this summer and knew they existed, but I never tried them out until my besties officially introduced them to me. And now I'm hooked! I've listened to several this summer and it's become one of my favorite things to do whenever I have a few minutes to myself. So I don't often get to listen to one start to finish without interruption. Haha. But whenever I'm cooking for a few minutes by myself, or folding clothes while the boys are in another room playing, or just getting ready in the bathroom, I listen to one... or part of one I should say. I've also listened by the pool. My most favorite is probably Bible Binge with Knox and Jaime. They crack me up with their "reviews" and analyzations of Bible stories. They take a story from the Bible and help me see it differently and with new eyes.... while also making it very relatable to modern day issues/scenarios and making me laugh. They just expand my knowledge of the Word and take Sunday School Bible stories deeper. I also love the  Proverbs 31 podcast (which is super new), Friends of a Feather, Mom Struggling Well with Emily Thomas, The Happy Hour with Jaime Ivey, and God Centered Mom. So quite a few. 😊 Again, I'm concerned I won't be able to listen as much once school starts back. Realistically I will probably only be able to prioritize 2 or 3 of them. But we'll see how it goes. Thanks to Brandi and Megan for introducing me!! It makes the sometimes mundane and regular stuff I'm doing more truth-filled, encouraging, or Jesus centered than before.

6. And last but not least, is a big one. This summer I am attempting to comprise a CHRISTMAS list for myself and the boys... with their input of course. Every year I want to get an early start on Christmas shopping and every year I don't get started until November. Which isn't early at all. And last year was pure craziness because I was working full time for the first time and everything was very last minute and rushed and stressful. So in an effort to avoid all of that we're attempting early lists. And by we, I mean my side of the family. We exchange wish lists on my side and Terrell's side because it makes shopping so much easier. So this year I got my sister and mom on board and hopefully the guys will cooperate too. Haha. I'm hopeful that I can begin purchasing some gifts pre-October. It's a lofty goal but I know I will feel so much more relaxed come November and December if I've already done some shopping and have a good head start. (But first I need to make sure I can get my own list ready... and a list started for the boys.... before school starts. 😊)

The unexpected new this summer has been fun!! And hopefully it will all transfer over to the school year! 

Happy Wednesday!