June/July Update

Look at you all, getting two months update for the price of one! Life has been coming fast at The Manor and we are all starting to find a new groove. And that is just looking at this past week. LOL 

The boys have a new chore chart, I have a new chore chart, I'm getting some workouts in and I'm reading before bed instead of watching TV. All good things to start doing!  

Read 24 Books: 13/24

I read two books in June and three in July. Not going to lie, read almost one entire book while Alex was in the hospital. So that helped the monthly goal! 

I started June reading Spare by Prince Harry. I'm a big fan of the Netflix show The Crown and have followed Princess Diana drama since I was old enough to read tabloid covers in the grocery checkout line. I really appreciated Prince Harry's side of the story since he has been labeled a "goof up" since he was very young. If you are interested in the Royal Family this book was very good. My  next book was Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren. This was a beach read romance and while predictable, a good quick read. 

Started July with Chelsea Handler's Life Will be the Death of Me. This was nothing like the first Handler book I read, that book was one comedy bit after another and was so good I put it on my bookshelf to read again later. This book was excellent but it was deeper and rooted in Handler working with a therapist to figure out why she is the way she is. I still laughed but I was also deeply moved and provided very good reflections. I will be keeping this book too, that's my ultimate test of a book! 

My next book The Leftovers by Perotta was a bit of a let down. It started so good and the story line of an unexplained rapture had so many possibilities of how it could go. Then it just ended. Nothing concluded, nothing solved, no story lines satisfied. I was looking for a couple more chapters when it ended, boo. 

The book I just finished is Courting Mr. Lincoln by Louis Bayard. This book is historical fiction but the author did explain he got the basis of the story from historical letters and biographies on Mary Todd. Once I got used to the English of that time, I really enjoyed it! I now have a Mary Todd Lincoln biography on my "to read" list. 

Run 760 Miles: 381/760

Running and working out have taken a hit this summer. I will keep tracking my miles but my goal might be too lofty for my current state of mind. I think I need to start a half marathon training plan from scratch. With a 3 mile long run to start with! 

Money Goals: 

• Pay Mortg principle down 5K  still making those principle payments. I'm $1875 dollars away from this goal. Right on track for this point of the year! 
• Replace Windows  
• Create Backyard Oasis
• New Paint and Floors in my bedroom Done May! 
• New Garbage Disposal  Done Feb!

Another money thing I started this month was putting money in the boys' 529 plans. These plans were started before my divorce and have just been sitting there rising and falling with the market. I'm finally ready to put contributions to those accounts back into my monthly budget! With Daryl starting High School next month, college will be here before we know it. (And it's not getting any cheaper...)

Trips: In June we went to Texas! Actually, Daryl went to Texas twice in June! LOL 

Finish/Work on a loose end every month Completely ignoring this goal in July, I actually started a new knitting project. LOL 

On Sunday I picked up some of Alex's friends
for an end of summer/birthday skate! Not pictures is one friend
who met us there. It was a lot of fun!

Might have stayed at the park a little longer after skating
if it hadn't been 1,000 degrees outside!