Making the Most of Summer Break: Halfway Check In

summer of intentionality 2013

Oh my goodness, friends, I just realized we have hit the halfway mark for summer break 2013. *gulp*

It’s both good and bad news. I’ll leave the bad news up to you, but the good news is there is still time to make some summer break plans to learn, to do and to read.

Have you made your list of things to learn, to do and to read yet?

Here’s my update:

Summer of Intentionality 2013:

Things I Want to Learn:

Skype – – I have used it and am LOVING IT! It feels nothing short of a miracle every time it works. My dad asked me a “technical” question about how Skype works the other day on a video chat and my answer was “It’s magic!” and that pretty much sums up how I feel about the whole thing. I totally wish I would have started using it earlier.

Hootsuite – I’ll just say there is still time in the summer for me to give it a go.

Movie Maker – I’ve been playing around with camera placement, lighting and getting ideas together. Look for some new videos from me in the next few months.

Student Motivation – I am so excited to be learning about the research behind motivation. More on that below.

Things I Want to Do:

My Activities:

Yoga class twice a week at It’s All Yoga – a work in progress! I’m going to class more than I have been in the last couple months, but not making that twice a week goal. Something to work on.

Daily restorative yoga – dude. I need to get on this one.

Manicure – Must schedule appointment.

Pedicure – Must schedule appointment. Is this a good time to talk about my fear of getting oglies from getting a pedicure? Because I really think that is what is holding me back.

Foot massage -Someone may need to hold my hand on this one.

90 Minute full body massage July AND August appointments are on the books.

Road trip to see Rhett Miller with friends. Show tickets are purchased. Now we need to rent a car and find good places to sleep. I may also try to convince my friend to go to a restorative yoga class in SF.

Ride my bike for errands. – Dude, where’s my bike?

Nap in a hammock.- The hammock has been put together and has clocked lots of reading hours. The cat and the kid fight over who gets to try to knock me off. Needless to say, I may have to switch this from napping to reading. Just for safety if nothing else.

Make pie. Good god, I love pie. – So many pies have been made and consumed this summer.

Family activities:

Visit Minnesota grandparents – DONE

Visit Bay Area grandparents – DONE several times!

Visit Mendo County grandparents – in the scheduling process.

Visit Portland friends – they are coming here instead of me going there. Two on the books.

Visit the swimming pool several times a week as a family – Best.Idea.Ever. We’ve been meeting another family there for dinner and swimming more nights and it is simply the best. I’m going to be sad when summer ends.

Ride bikes as a family. – I am not even sure where my bike is at this point.

Go to the farmer’s market together. – So far it’s been teams of two, not three, but we go several times a week.

Cook outside at the pool and eat dinner there. – We haven’t cooked there, but we’ve brought lots of picnic food with us. I love summer food! Especially when it is shared with good friends.

Fruit picking – DONE

Late add: Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge – on the schedule

Late add: Tuesday Night BBQ – on the schedule

Things I Want to Read:

Complete the summer reading program at the library.

 Just Kids by Patti Smith – It was so different than what I thought it was going to be I have to say I was just surprised. I liked it, not loved it. I learned a lot, but completely different stuff than I had anticipated.

Mindful Teaching and Teaching Mindfulness – I have it, but haven’t started it yet.

Steal Like An Artist – by Austin Kleon. I reviewed it here.

Uncertainty by Jonathan Fields – I have it, but haven’t started it yet.

Mindset by Carol Dweck – I’m almost finished with it and if I have seen you in person recently I’ve told you to read it. Can’t wait to tell you more about it.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – I’m on page 556 and I’m still in, so it must be good.

That’s my mid summer update!

 How are you making the most of what’s left of summer break?

Summer of Intentionality Progress Report: To Do

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Summer of Intentionality 2011 is off to a great start! I’ve been ticking items of my three lists and am happy to report progress is being made on all. So much so, it’s been difficult to find time to write posts and keep up with reading my favorites.

Over all I’m happy with feeling productive and remembering that putting out effort to make things happen a) doesn’t take that much effort and b) can be loads of fun. This has come as a huge relief to me because I would hate to feel like my summer has been “wasted” on frivolous stuff. At least this summer my frivolity is planned frivolity, dammit.

{Ed. note – please click the links – there is good stuff hidden there. Such good stuff, you too, can fall down the internet rabbit hole. I’ll see you at the bottom!]

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To Do: The whole list

Status update:

Dinner with Vanessa and Jeannie in Oakland at Burma Superstar – even included a ride on the back of JP’s new scooter!

Farmer’s market last Sunday under the freeway and Wednesday’s at Chavez Park

Many fruits and veggies consumed since the beginning of the summer.

Swimming in a pool – check

Yoga class with Michelle, Madeleine and Bob all of whom I love and highly recommend.

What have I learned about myself from my To Do list?

Saying yes to fun is, not surprisingly, more fun than saying no. You can, in fact, do more than one fun thing in a day and it can be exponentially more fun. Most of you are probably shaking your head by now.

What can I say? I think I may be lazier than the average bear. The result of too many restorative yoga classes? In any case, more fun equals more fun!

Saying yes is also really tiring for those of us who don’t drink coffee or sleep well.  Grandma may just need to take more naps — why didn’t naps make this list???

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What about you? How is your summer going?