Three days into September and it's almost like a switch has been thrown from summer to autumn with the move between months.  While I would have preferred a slower transition (and hopefully we will have a few warmer days before autumn really kicks in), the change in season has really added to my recent feelings of getting ready to move into a new season, a new pace of life.

With that said, I have really enjoyed taking the time to slow down and figure out what I want to spend the rest of this year focusing on.  I knew that I wanted only a handful of areas to focus on and that those areas needed to only things that were the most important to me.  As we head towards Thanksgiving and Christmas, I wanted to make sure that I have the margin in my time and heart to find joy and celebrate life.

Here are the areas that I am focusing on:

Wellness || Find balance and freedom in this area by making progress and moving towards where I want to be.

Career || Set boundaries for myself in relation to work so that I have the space to learn new skills while having a balance between the hours I am working and my home life. Learn to lead myself well and figure out how to lead when I am not in charge.  

Soul || Plug into God and His kingdom in a way that is vulnerable and real.  Read the Word, pray, settle into a church and build new, deep relationships.

Blog || Be intentional with the content that I am sharing on my blog, ensuring that it either teaches, encourages, inspires or uplifts those who read it.

2018 || Begin to think about and develop my plans for 2018. Consider new goals, a new One Little Word word, implementing new routines etc.

Project || Start working on my two new projects. Set aside time to develop them and make progress on them.

 During September I will be focusing on the following specific goals:

Monthly
Create a blog schedule and content ideas
Tell a story using the AE Story Kit
Celebrate my birthday
Work on new project

Weekly
New blog post
Reconnect with two friends
Write to Granny
Move my body twice a week for 30 minutes
Work on project life

Daily
Write the Word Journal
Eat well
Vitamins
10 minute tidy
Keep work hours
Take lunch away from my desk

Hope you have a productive and enjoyable month.  

Earlier this summer we spent a fantastic day at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, walking around and taking in the Jurassic Kingdom Tour which we had bought tickets for back in February. Four months of waiting and having that excitement build - it felt magical before we even got past the ticket booths.


The weather was gorgeous; the sun was out and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  Half way round the tour we decided to stop on the green in the center of the gardens and enjoy the picnic that we had packed along with a whole bunch of other families. It was just what I needed, to be able to kick back and relax while soaking up some sunshine.


The dinosaurs were pretty amazing as well.  They were life size and the majority of them moved and made real life noises.  They were put together so well that you couldn't even see the seams or places where they were connected.  Before you even got inside they had a life size T-Rex at the ticket booth and when I saw him, I knew that was going to be an awesome day.  As you walked through the gardens, they had different dinosaurs in different areas. Dinosaur birds flying between the branches, baby dinosaurs hatching from eggs, and different scenes from the Jurassic World movie played out in the gardens.  


The day was totally awesome.... and we weren't even the kids on this adventure.  If you get the chance to go and enjoy this tour next summer you should definitely go and make a day of it.

Listening to | Love Won't Let Me Down (Acoustic version) by Hillsong and Lay Our Flowers Down by Lady Antebellum on repeat. Like every single day. I love these two songs right now.

Signing up | Last Saturday I decided to sign back up to Slimming World. I found a new group, not too far from home, who meet first thing Saturday morning so I got brave and went. The group seems nice, as does the consultant. I am going to give this my very best effort and refuse to give up.

Planning | Come four o clock this afternoon, work is done for the week and here in the UK, we are heading into a three-day long weekend. I am so looking forward to it I can not even put it into words. I don't know exactly what I will be doing but I have a few plans in mind depending on the weather. Regardless of rain or sunshine though, I plan to rest, see some family, document some stories and watch a movie or two.

Watching | Game Of Thrones Season 7 - like the rest of the world probably is. Each season is pretty short compared to other TV shows but this season is even shorter than the others and that makes me sad.  Next week is the season finale and I must admit - I'm not sure yet who I am rooting for.

Loving | A couple weeks back I came across the Wet Brush on a favourites video on YouTube and I decided to get myself one and give it a try.  I have very thick, long hair and no matter how carefully and gently I wash and towel dry it the knots are intense.  Previously I have been using the Tangle Teaser, and while it works better than my normal hair brush, the Wet Brush is unbelievably better. I am so in love with this brush.