Oh hi! It’s July!

It’s July already?!  This feels somewhat surprising to me as time seems to not exist much these days, between lock down and the chaotic tornado that is the rest of 2020…..but we’re half way through I guess?  I love the summer so July is one of my favorite months (and usually a busy one!) with my birthday and Mr. BGB’s, too.  Originally I was planning on being back in Belize (and visiting Blancaneaux Lodge, Coral Caye and Turtle Inn to celebrate) however those plans have been modified for obvious reasons.

Was hoping this would be the view I would have on my birthday – there’s always next year!

So instead I’m focusing my energy on enjoying July on a smaller scale and in a slightly more abstract way.  Check out my plans and get a peek into what’s to come on Baby Got Balance this summer:

Can you create a new habit in a month?

I’ve been reading about creating new habits and what it takes to make one stick.  So obviously I decided that I need to become a morning person.  Sounds easy, right?  Well if you know anything about me you know that is not my jam.  I am not a morning person.  I do not enjoy waking up early and sleep is one of my favorite, most cherished self care rituals.  But for the month of July, in honor of my birthday (and the fact that a grown woman should be able to get up early, or so I’m told), I’m going to experiment with what it takes to become someone who loves the AM.  Yes, apparently y’all are out there.  I’ll be updating weekly and will have a recap at the end of the month so stay tuned for my experiment!  Also feel free to send good vibes in my direction because I’m already dreading my alarm going off.

Photo by Joseph Redfield from Pexels

B List

Last year for my birthday I wrote about my B list (as I’m still hung up on the term “bucket list”) so in honor of that I’m going to be working on a revised piece.  If 2020 has taught me anything thus far it’s that plans don’t mean much when everything hits the fan but visualizing your wants and goals can be incredible for your mental health.  Also, who doesn’t like to daydream about where they want to be?

Image by jodeng from Pixabay

Travel Plans (here’s to hoping)

Canceling travel plans was very on trend for 2020 but it doesn’t mean that I’m going to stop planning!  Flexibility has always been a key factor in my travel planning so I’m going to continue on with the hope that some part of this year I’ll be able to safely (and responsibly) get back to it.

Views from above

Personal Growth

One of the positives to come out of the current situation is that I’ve been able to use this extra time to expand my skills.  I started taking a coding course after messing around with an app and realizing I enjoy it!  I’ve also been working on some marketing/SEO and social media focused courses so I’m hoping I’ll have a better knowledge base and can share what I learn when I’m done.

Classes aren’t my only focus:  I’m getting back into the kitchen.  I’ve always loved to cook and grew up recreating Japanese family recipes and learning the Mexican recipes my dad grew proficient in while living on the border (Thanks, El Paso!).  Over the years cooking has become something I have to do instead of something I feel inspired to do.  Anyone else feel like this?  One of my focuses has been getting back to enjoying what I’m doing by being present and putting attention back into the details.  I’m hoping to share some recipes soon on the blog!

So that’s what I have going on for July.  I’ll also be grabbing some hikes with my gals, drinking wine on my deck and will continue to work in support of the TNR program that I love.  What are your plans for July?