July Goals & Currently

Holy smokes! July 1st is tomorrow! I'm excited and a little bit overwhelmed with everything that is coming up in July. It's going to be a big month (mom coming to town, flying back to Seattle for a wedding/military retirement party, and best friend visiting for 8 full days!) and before I know it August will be here and it will be time for back to school. This summer is already flying by!!

So, what's going on right now?  I'm linking up with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for July's currently.  I was going to wait until tomorrow to avoid the "don't post twice in a day" rule, but everyone gave such great advice about being yourself as a blogger on the linky, I decided I wanted to post today...so I'm doin' it! If I'm lucky, I may just be #300.  LOL. This party is more popular than sliced bread.

Listening:  Man, do I love some Indie Rock! I've been building up my master Indie Rock mix all summer.  It's got a little of everything... Mumford & Sons, Imagine Dragons, Young the Giant, Black Keys, AWOLNATION, Atlas Genius, Walk the Moon, Fun, and so much more!!  Do you have a favorite rock/indie rock band?  Please share! My playlist is a constant work in progress. :)

Loving: Let's just say... SUMMER ROCKS!

Thinking: I just can NOT seem to get the furniture arrangement right.  I hate that my computer faces the wall right now.  Ugh! I need a new outlook.  Stay posted... we may have just found my Monday Made-It.

Wanting:  Am I the only one getting a Really Good Stuff catalog every few days?!  They are persistent. It really is full of really good stuff. I could spend so much money on organization stuff alone.  Too bad our water heater went south and classroom funds are now being redirected...boo!

Needing: I guess I should have put a new water heater here, huh?  I really NEED one of those.  Cold showers are the worst! It sort of ties into getting my house cleaned.  My mom arrives in 5 days, so I need to get this place "company ready."  That probably includes having hot water, yeah?

Tips/Tricks/Hints: Pinterest is the best way to keep a record of posts you discover and love. I have bookmarked pages and flagged posts in my reader, but I find Pinterest to be the easiest. It's the visual. It's so much easier to go back and find what you are looking for.  This is especially true if you snag a cool freebie and forget the details.  I'm sure this never happens to you, but just in case... pin baby pin! 

What about my goals? I'm linking up with Jess at I {heart} Recess to talk about my July goals.  Writing them down is the first step to commitment, so here we go...

Personal: Looking for quick and healthy recipes here.  Any suggestions?  You should know in advance that I am bit of picky eater.  Anything with mushrooms is OUT! UGH! Also, I'm not sure about this whole kale thing. 

Family: Yup, my husband works full time AND is in law school.  He is even taking summer classes right now! He's a total rock star.  I look at the books he is reading and think to myself...Yeah... NO! I think I'll stick with my books for Fiction Friday. Thanks!

Health: I'm really proud of myself here.  I've been hitting the gym five days a week.  Okay, you caught me, it was only last week, but you gotta start somewhere. I'm spinning three times a week and doing this athletic conditioning class that is kicking by butt.  Seriously, if I never did another squat, lunge, or burpee I would be thrilled, but I'm guessing all three of those will be in next Tuesdays class. And ya know what!?  I'm going!

School: I spending my summer focusing on improving my response journals.  Science and reading were pretty good this year, but math left little to be desired.  I really want to focus on math vocabulary, because that is where my students struggle.  Please, please share any vocabulary activities you love!  I'm trying to build up my repertoire.

Blog/TPT: Look, I'm already doing it! I'm joining!

Outside the Box: Admittedly, I have never had a green thumb, but this Texas heat makes it nearly impossible to keep your plants alive.  Any tips?  I mean, besides watering them.  I'm seriously thinking of switching to fake. I don't think you could tell from the street. Would my HOA know?

Thanks ladies for hosting such fun linky parties! Be sure to check out Fiction Friday where I review all kinds of great kids books! AND, don't forget to investigate my new Sunday Feature: Favorites from the Year, where I share seasonal/holiday ideas to be pinned and saved for later. Ever thought about having your class create an army of leprechauns?  Today's Sunday Feature, was a quick, fun, following directions drawing activity where you class creates their very own Man of March (aka leprechaun). So Fun!

Toodles,