Daily thoughts to share

I am not doing a very good job at blogging, huh? My average is once a week so far. this summer So, here I am. For the week. ;)

Last week I mentioned how I wanted to cut down on mindless scrolling through Facebook/Snapchat/Instagram/Twitter/Goodreads (seriously, I am an addict). I wish I could say I did a good job at cutting down, but I did not. I was pretty much the same. One thing I did decide to do though was turn each moment where I wanted to post something on Facebook (with the exception of photos of Elise) I would make a note of the thought in my phone and save it for a blog post. How fun is that?! I love sharing on Facebook and other social media sites and you could probably classify me as an "oversharer." I kind of hate that I am that way. I have friends that NEVER post online but I know they are there, lurking, everyday. Sometimes I wish I could be more that way. I'm not sure why I enjoy sharing so much. I'm not an attention hog in person at all. I suppose I like to share my thoughts and start conversation online. However, in person I am a terrible conversationalist! I think it is because I need more time to gather my thoughts and form thoughtful sentences and contributions to the conversation.

Anyway, here are the notes that I took - notes that I considered putting online and then stopped myself in an effort to stop oversharing. I'll just overshare here! I mean, that's what my personal blog is for, right?!

• That moment when you finish a book and you immediately look up the author on Facebook to see if they are coming to a bookstore near you and to also message them gushing about their book. Yes, that is me. 
• I hate when people use my name in the middle of a sentence. Example: "Yes, Amber, I saw that yesterday on the news." I am sure it is not meant to sound condescending, but it does to me. 
• Cold brew? I don't get it. Is there really a difference? I'm clearly not a coffee aficionado. 
• Parent alone is EXHAUSTING. Today (Tuesday) at Rhyme Time I mentioned to a friend that I was exhausted and didn't understand why. Her daughter is about 7 months older than mine and she mentioned that it is really hard to parent alone. It just slowly wears you out! So true. Thank God my husband gets home Saturday. 
• I resisted a cookie, a free cookie, at a local business this week. Small win!
• June isn't even over yet and I'm already getting depressed at how quickly summer is spinning by. Slow. Down. Please. 

See? All of those things I wanted to share.

Do you overshare, lurk online or fall somewhere in between? Do you wish you were different, like I do?

Week 1 summer report

Hello! More than a week of summer is already over, and is it bad that I already feel like it is going way too fast?! I am trying hard to savor every  minute. In my last post I said I wanted to focus on reading, exercising and time with Elise. If I had to grade myself on how I've been doing, here is how it would end up (I am a teacher, after all!)

Time with Elise: A+
Last week we went to our first Rhyme Time at one of my favorite branches of the Des Moines Public Library, we went mall walking and took a long walk on Monday with some shorter walks every other day. The weather is already steaming up quite a bit so I'm planning on putting on Elise's swimsuit on her for the first time and taking her to a splash pad so she can get acclimated with the water. I would like to take her to the pool sometime too but I do not want to do that by myself. I'm sure her dad would want to see this first, so we will probably wait for a weekend to do that! I am LOVING my time with her and feel so fortunate that I get a little glimpse into the life of a SAHM in the summers.

Elise with her good friend O at the library's rhyme time! O is a little over a year old and Elise is 5 months.

Reading: C-
I've been trying to pick up a book during the small bits of time I come upon (or the large bits of time!) but I always find myself distracted by laundry, dishes, tv or mindlessly scrolling on my phone. The mindlessly scrolling on my phone is the main time sucker and has been a habit I've been trying to break for years now. I think one of these days I am going to do an experiment. Every time I want to pick up my phone throughout the day and I do not have a real purpose (calling or texting someone, looking up valid information), I will instead pick up a book and read. Then I will compare how much I read that day to the day before. I am sure I will be sick over how much reading I could get done if I broke the habit of mindless scrolling!

Exercise: C
I've been dressing the part and talking the talk, but not really walking the walk yet. It's taking a little time to get back into the swing of things, but I'm making baby steps. I've been walking most days, but it has been so hot! I feel terrible strapping Elise into her stroller (which is still the carseat!) when it is 90+ degrees outside. I am sure I'm more uncomfortable than she is, but I still feel bad when I see her cheeks redden from heat and she gets that sticky, sweaty feeling on her skin. This weekend I think she will go to the gym's daycare for the first time while I go to Zumba, which is a huge stepping stone for us. I hope she likes it.

I messed with this picture SO MUCH but still I could not get the picture to insert right side up.

There you have it, my summer report card so far. This week we have a few fun things planned. Lunch with some teacher friends, a meeting with our daycare lady and some crafts for Father's Day! I'll try to check back in later this week. :)

ALPITC's big summer return!

Hello, hello!

Today is the first reaaallll day of my summer vacation and I am trying to start it off "right" by doing ALLTHETHINGS - which include blogging. :)

I am still so unsure of where this blog is going and I still feel as if I have outgrown it, but until I think of a new blog name, this is where I will stay. One thing I do know though is, I want a focus on babies, books and a little teaching stuff (mainly book-related. Ha!)

In the mean time, this post is ...  mostly book-related. As I have contemplated what I want to do with my short 11 weeks off there here are a just few things that pop into my head immediately.

• Reading. All. The. Books. Baby books, kids chapter books, middle grade books, adult guilty-pleasure books. I just want to get my reading mojo back.
• Time with Elise. Obviously she is my first priority and spending time with her during the summer is one of the main reasons I went into education. I knew I would be a mom someday and I predicted teaching would be a great "mom job." I was mostly right, but damn, the school years can be rough. 
• Exercise. Just like my reading mojo, my exercise mojo is about gone. (How many times can I say "mojo" in one post?!) We have big plans to go on daily walks and I am making my big return to Zumba. I'm ready to wear my pre-baby clothes ASAP. 

So, I thought I would update you on what I'm reading right now.

I've been slogging my way through Kate DiCamillo's (author of Because of Winn-Dixie)  newest middle grade novel, Raymie Nightingale. I am about halfway through and I am loving the main character, Raymie. She is thoughtful and funny, but I'm still waiting for the plot to pick up. I fear my students would put this down too soon (they are only fourth grade) but older students would have the reading stamina and patience to make it to the plot's climax.





The second book I'm reading is the ultimate beach read. The Weekenders by Mary Kay Andrews. The only thing missing from my experience is the beach! I might have to sit outside in the hammock and read this one with a fruity drink nearby. ;)
The Weekenders is about Riley Griggs, housewife in the idyllic setting of Belle Isle, North Carolina. Her beach house is being foreclosed and her husband has disappeared. She tries to put everything together and even more secrets emerge among her friends and family. So far, the book is reminding me of Elin Hilderbrand's The Silver Girl, which I loved!




Well, that is all I have today! Elise and I are going to head out for a walk and after that we have some grocery shopping to do (I am so excited to get it done on a slow Monday rather than a bustling Saturday or Sunday!)

What are your plans for the summer and what are you reading right now? Does your reading tastes change to more "beach" reads in the summer like mine?