It’s hard to believe that we’re already just about halfway through 2020. To be honest with all of you, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed and tired in this sixth month of the year. I don’t really feel like I’ve made great progress in any of my goals, and I am trying to figure out how to make the most of the time that is left in 2020. I know that the motto for many PowerSheet’s users is “Progress, not Perfection,” but as a recovering perfectionist, that is just hard for me to abide by sometimes!

I’ve also been thinking a lot about the current state of the world and the role that I play within it. It’s been interesting, uplifting, and disheartening at times to watch influencers that I follow respond to and engage with the Black Lives Matter movement. While I know I have such a small amount of influence compared to those women, I do have people who read this blog and follow me on social media. So even in a small way, I guess I am an influencer too. While I’ve watched how others are responding, I’ve done a lot of reflection over these last couple of weeks. I believe that Black Lives Matter. I am eager to educate myself about the history of systemic racism in our country so that I can be a part of the solution. But there is a part of me too that is deeply sad that I have to educate myself, that I wasn’t taught these things in school. It’s a huge privilege to be able to learn about this topic and to not have actually lived it, and that is not lost on me. How are you navigating your feelings right now, friends? Anything I can do to support you? What have you thought about how you’ve seen influencers respond to current events?

On my calendar this month:

• We had our second IVF egg retrieval earlier this month! I’m working on a post outlining the differences from cycle one to cycle two, why we made the decision to do another retrieval right now, and where we are going next in our treatment plan that I’ll post next week. So stay tuned for those updates!

• For our June decluttering weekend, we’re going to focus energy on the room that will someday be a nursery. It’s become a bit of a dumping ground for all. the. things. So we’re going to clear it out and only put back what needs to be there!

• We had an electrician come and do some work in our house to clean things up a bit - moving some outlet boxes so they weren’t in the middle of walkways or walls, and adding a light to the top of our staircase to help with visibility at night.

What I’m loving right now:

• This podcast episode featuring Ibram X. Kendi, the author of “How to Be an Antiracist”. His book is on my to read list and I loved hearing more about his perspective and knowledge.

• Following @ohhappydani on Instagram. She illustrated the image that I used at the top of this post, and how she talks about current events in her stories has helped me begin to understand where I can fit in and make a difference in dismantling systemic racism in our country. If you don’t follow her already, I highly recommend!

• This book all about building a layered garden that is beautiful from season to season. I quickly realized last year after all of my spring bulbs bloomed and then nothing else happened that I needed to focus on the long term growth of our garden spaces! Reading this book is giving me some good insight into what it means to layer texture, color, and blooming times within your outdoor spaces.

June goals:

• Finish our kitchen refresh

• Clean out my bathroom storage area so that it is easier to find things that I use regularly

• Finish putting my closet back together and send the ThredUp bag I currently have filled

• Develop and stick to a weekly laundry and cleaning/tidying routine

• Engage in anti-racist education work weekly through reading, listening, and watching different content

• Develop daily habits to maintain the garden throughout the hot summer months

As a reminder, many of these monthly goals are directly related to my overall goals for 2020!

Since it’s something I’m going to prioritize this month, let’s talk about weekly laundry or cleaning routines. How do you accomplish those tasks in your own home? Are there things that you designate to do monthly, weekly or daily in your home? How do you stay motivated to get things done? I’d love to hear from you!