Vacation & Goals

I've been having a lovely three day weekend with my sister. Much more enjoyable than when she was here last year over Labor Day weekend and we had a heat emergency. Couldn't do anything outside! This time, I think we've found a good balance between activity and relaxation. Feels like the way a three day weekend should feel like, family outings, fun and down time. We've been enjoying catching up, creating new recipes, exploring hiking/walking opportunities, a movie at the Arclight (Terminator IV) and yesterday, a really nice afternoon at the beach just north of Malibu near Zuma Beach. We picniced, layed out in the sun, and did a nice little hike to the cliff top with a gorgeous ocean view where we spotted dolphins, seals, and even a cute friendly neighborhood squirrel that some other tourists nicknamed "Rocky."

Today, we're winding down our weekend with some productivity: Kristy working on her Resume while I do some chores and errands to get ready for the week. It's been a refreshing weekend and I'm feeling a bit inspired to change up my routine a bit when I get back to everyday life. Now that Don is getting into his job more, I have a lot more "me time" and I'm starting to think about how I want to invest that time. Of course one of my big goals coming up is a half marathon with my sister-in-law so part of that time will be spent focused on training.

Also, the simplest image of a girl reading a book on the beach yesterday sparked my appetite and interest to get more into reading. So I'm thinking about setting a goal to read 25 books in a year. That's about two a month which I think I could do. If anybody has any good suggestions on what to read I'm open to them. For the most part I like to read for entertainment so I'm drawn to fiction. I also love period pieces, books that incorporate lots of natural elements such as environment and weather, and books centered on strong female characters.

Finally, I plan to get back more into blogging. I want to continue to become better with my finances and the Cheapskate Blog has really helped me to keep on track.