A July To-Do List
Happy July! The month has begun with the most beautiful weather and after June being the rainiest month ever it's been very welcome, I feel so much better for the boost of Vitamin D. I’ve not got any wild plans this month so far, I know some people have crazy busy summers but for me it’s the time of year where things really slow down and there is a little bit of extra room in my schedule for an evening dog walk which finishes my day off so perfectly. And even though I don’t have any wild plans there are plenty of things on my to-do list for July and they look a little something like this...
WEEK 5 OF COUCH TO 5K
June wasn’t my best for running, I missed a few and it’s crazy how fast you lose stamina which set me back a little bit. I moved onto week 4 of the app a while ago and at the beginning, it felt absolutely impossible to be able to run 5 minutes nonstop but the more I did it my body slowly learned how to pace itself. And that has been the best thing as I finally feel a little more prepared to run longer distances. Week 5 is where the app does go a little off kilter for me as it suddenly goes to 25 minutes non stop running which I certainly don’t feel ready for so I think I’m going to build myself up to that time in easy to manage chunks that I time myself. I’m definitely going for the slow and steady approach when it comes to my running now and it’s helped so much with any leg pains and aches which I struggled with a lot before.
SHOPPING SEASONALLY
As I’m desperately trying to curb my sugar addiction it means I’ve been replacing cakes and sweets with fruit. Which means I’ve been really conscious when doing the food shopping to try and only buy the fruit that is in season, something I’ve only realised the importance of in the last couple of years. Here is what is in season right now;
Blueberries
Currants
Elderflower
Plums
Raspberries
Strawberries
Peaches
Cherries
Kiwi
REDECORATE THE BANNISTER
A task that doesn’t fill me with excitement that needs doing this month is the resanding and glossing of our bannister. The woodwork is absolutely terrible in our house, all the doors need to be replaced because they’ve not been hung properly but our main concern right now is our bannister that has started to go rotten from hanging wet towels and drying bedding on it. Thankfully, it's not gotten to the point where it needs replacing but it does need some TLC. Glossing anything has got to my most hated task in the world so if you’ve got any advice about painting and sanding such a tricky area then I’d really appreciate them.
GET BACK INTO MASKING
If you caught one of my recent-ish posts about the beauty habits that I want to get back into doing then using masks in my skin and haircare routine is at the top of it. Congestion and dehydration are something that I can always do with a little assistance with and masks are the easiest way to tackle those issues and I know that once I get in a good habit with them not only does my skin look and feel better but makeup always looks far smoother too. And when it comes to my hair, well things are just feeling a little dry and sad and I want to grow it out a little as my best friend is getting married next year and I’m coveting beachy waves for that day. The Philip Kingsley Elasticizer has been a favourite of mine for years now, you’re supposed to use it on wet hair but I prefer to slather it on when it's dry and then wash it out. This makes it so much easier to leave it on for longer periods of time too.
drive more on the motorway
Being an anxious driver is something that I’ve written about quite a few times before and I’m generally ok now apart from driving on the motorway. That is still something that makes me really nervous but I know it’s something that I have to tackle as being able to comfortably and confidently drive on the motorway is pretty important in the UK. I’ve done it a few times and the more and more that I do then the easier I feels (no surprises there) so I just need to push myself to be the one to volunteer to drive instead of letting my boyfriend do it.
tackle Edie’s separation anxiety
If you’re not familiar with this blog then you might not know that I have two little sighthounds, Josie the black whippet cross and Edie the blue whippet. Edie really struggles with separation anxiety and in particular, being away from me because she’s not used to me being out of the house as so much of job means I’m at home with both dogs so she doesn’t know any different. Separation anxiety is something that is a really topical issue between dog owners, trainers, and behaviourists and there are a number of different ways that are advised to battle against it but the most important thing is consistency and that is what a lot of July is going to consist of for me. I try and do everything possible to enable my dogs to have the most wonderful life they can but sometimes I need to be able to leave the house without Edie howling constantly because she’s so distressed. It's going to be something that is very mentally draining as no-one wants to see their dog upset but I'm hoping that if I just keep on doing it then it will be much easier on her.
