10 Things I Want To Do This Summer

Hello friends! Oh how I have missed this space on the internet.  Like most of you, the end of the school year was extremely busy for me.  Filled with EOY assessments, field trips, field days, awards days, and a party to send our fourth graders on to fifth grade in style. 

We have been out of school for about a week now and I am finally ready to plan out my summer to do list.  I always take the first week of summer vacation off from anything teaching related. My summer classes haven't started yet, and I've enjoyed just relaxing this week.  We had a big cookout for my 30th birthday, I've taken the dogs on big walks every day, and we've tackled some home improvement projects. It's been great for recharging my batteries!

Since I've had time to clear of my head of all things teaching related, I thought I'd link up with Deanna Jump for my Summer Top Ten List. :) I've really enjoyed reading everyone's lists!

One: READ
One of my favorite things about summer is the chance to read.  I have a mix of professional and fun books that I am excited to read this summer. :)  Below is a list of books I plan on reading:
The One and Only
Word Nerds
The MatchMaker
Daily Five: Second Edition

Two: COOK
I certainly do my fair share of cooking during the school year, it's a great stress relief for me.  However, this summer I hope to cook more than I have in previous summers.  My husband works in restaurant management and can have crazy hours.  So sometimes, I just feel it's easier to pick up something rather than cook dinner for myself.  My goal is two is try to only eat out twice each month.  Cooking at home is typically better for me, and it's cheaper too! 

Three: DWELL 
My one little word spiritually this summer is DWELL.  I yearn to just spend sweet time with the Lord.  Whether it be doing a bible study, praying, or journaling.  I just want to dwell in his presence this summer. 

Four: SERVE
My husband and I recently started attending a new church together. We both hope to get more involved by serving our church community this summer.

Five: FOLLOW A SCHEDULE
While I certainly love the flexibility of summer, I have a hard time with it as well.  If I don't follow some type of schedule; I end up doing things like wasting the day on Instagram, watching the entire series of The Little Couple on Netflix, or napping the day away.  Which are all good things, in moderation. I try to get all my school/blog/TpT work done by five, so I can enjoy the rest of the evening with my husband and pups.  This also helps me to be more balanced, as I'm not doing school stuff all day, every day. 

Six: BE ACTIVE
A few summers ago, I fell prey to the blogger but. I sat on my but and blogged and created for TpT.  It was fun BUT it created a lot of bad habits.  This summer, I just want to to be active every day. Whether that be a walk with the dogs, a run, or a workout I have saved on Pinterest, I just want to get moving. 

Seven: CREATE
This summer, I have a new product line up my sleeve that I'm excited about. :) Something I really struggle with is getting in all the language usage CCSS standards in during my writing block.  So let's just say it addresses that need and hopefully it will help you out too! :)

Eight: PLAN 
This summer, I really want to look at our curriculum map and unit assessments and be purposeful with my preplanning of the school year and really make sure to dig deep in our standards.  I have lots of resources that I have created or purchased and I want to make sure to fill them purposefully in my curriculum map.  I also want to strengthen my writing calendar/map this year as well. :)

Nine: DECORATE
This is our second summer in our house and things are finally really coming together.  Which makes my wallet really happy! We really just need to finish up our gallery wall in our loft, add some personal touches to our master bedroom, and fill an awkward space in our kitchen at the moment.  :) Then it's on to finishing our basement....the list never stops with my handy hubs!

Our gallery wall will go behind the couch! :)

Ten: LOVE
This summer marks five years that I've been with my hubby and four years since we've been married.  We've been through a lot during that time and I'm so blessed to have him by my side.  We are hopeful that our family will grow soon and so I hope to cherish our time together, just the two of us, this summer. 

What are you up to this summer? :)