Afternoon Tea Time .03

Happy Fourth of July!! Today is always such an exciting day and I'm even more excited to be spending the 4th in Pittsburgh for the first time. I'm still getting used to the idea of not living with my family anymore and this holiday definitely makes that feel a lot more real. Since this is a new month I wanted to update you on last month's goals and revamp them for July!







1. Read two books - I completed this goal! I thought this would be a breeze, but with all of the interviews I've been prepping for and applications I've been sending out, this one has proved to be a bit of a challenge. This month I read The Hollow Boy by Jonathan Stroud and Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.
      Me Before You has been a very popular book lately. I have yet to see the movie because I wanted to finish the book before I saw the movie. I'm so glad I decided to do this. The book was absolutely amazing and I can't wait to watch the movie!
      The Hollow Boy, on the other hand, is less known. This is the final book in a children's horror trilogy, Lockwood and Co. It may be a children's series, but I actually had to read the first book in the series for a class I was taking in Undergrad. The book has a lot of interesting themes and is such an easy read. If you're in the mood to be scared, this is a series for you!


2. Exercise more - I honestly can't say I've been exercising more, it more or less has plateaued. The heat is still a huge deterrent for me and I haven't been going as much as I should. However, this past month I did have a huge burst of energy and ran 5 miles during one run, so I can't exactly say I'm slacking either.


3. Learn how to cook one new dish - I'm going to chalk this one up as a win. Although I didn't learn any fancy new recipe, I was able to make buffalo chicken dip for the first time. It was absolutely amazing and was such a win in my book. I'll definitely have to get more creative next month, though.


4. Drink more water - check!


5. Go for one walk a week - This was one of the simplest goals for the month, but it really helped with my mental health. At least once a week I've been able to take some time outside to just hangout. Summer in Pittsburgh is so lovely and these moments outside make it even better!


6. Finish Pretty Little Liars season 6 - Wow. Last season was so insane! I was not expecting any of the things that happened and this season is not letting me down, either! I'm so glad Ezra and Aria are back together. Aria is my spirit animal and Ezra is by far the hottest guy on the show. Power couple.


7. Spend more time with friends - I was so excited with how this goal panned out. June was filled with Bachelorette viewings, Hairspray watching and plenty of wine.


8. Reach 1500 followers on IG - I have unfortunately not been able to reach this goal. When I set out I had a little over 1,000 followers. Around 1030 and now I have over 1250! While I wasn't able to reach my goal of 1500 I think 200 followers in one month is pretty good!










I have no idea where June went or how it's already July! The time has flown by so quickly.

New month, new goals


1. Read two books - I'm keeping this goal the same as last month. I was debating on whether to up this goal to three books, but I have a feeling I'm going to be swamped with work, so I don't want to stretch myself out tooo thin.


2. Get in an exercise routine - Last month I made my exercising goal pretty vague. Creating a routine for my blog has really helped to keep me motivated and on track.  If I set up a routine, I know I'll be more likely to stick to it, instead of being sporadic with my workouts.


3. Learn how to cook one new dish - I kept this goal pretty simple last month, but I'm going to see how creative I can get this month!


4. Catch up on 'The Vampire Diaries' - Last month I caught up on PLL, but I'm equally obsessed with TVD. I know I have a lot of shows to keep track, but even if I just get it started I'll feel like I accomplished this goal. I was so sad Elena had to leave, but they ended her character in the best way possible.


5. Reach 1500 followers on IG - I'm so determined to make this number and I'm halfway to this goal already! One of the things I love about having this goal is the fact that I feel like I have a plan when it comes to my IG. My theme is perfected--I'm actually starting to feel like a real blogger now!


6. Start writing my weekly blog posts the weekend before I want to upload them - I've been reading a lot more about blogging and different tips and tricks to help you along the way. One of the tips that keep cropping up is writing your blogposts in advance. And not only in advance, but writing all of the posts for the following week at once. That way, when you go to upload them, there's not much you have to worry about the day of. I think this will really help me when I get super bogged down with work.


7. Research/ learn more about SEO - I still have no idea how to applies to my blog, but I keep hearing about it everywhere. I really need to get a good understanding of this and apply it to my blog/writing.


8. Finish two Summer Bucket List items - I can't believe the summer is halfway over! I still have so much I want to do with my time. I really want to get a cappuccino at a local coffee shop and go kayaking, but we'll see where July leads me!





I have a feeling July is going to fly by as quickly, if not more quickly than June, but hopefully I'll get all of my goals completed for the month. What are your goals for the month? I'd love to hear about them, so be sure to leave them in the comments below! That's all for now. I hope you all have a lovely Fourth of July! Until next time,


xoxo,




21 comments:

  1. I love your goals...I don't know if I could accomplish so much in one month! I'd be happy to get through one book!

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    1. I was an English Lit student in undergrad, so reading is something I've learned to do very quickly! And when I'm really invested in the book then it flies by even faster!

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  2. Goals are always fun to make and complete. Nice thing you can always roll them over to the next month.

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    1. Exactly my thoughts! I should work to get them done during the month I've assigned them to myself, but if I can't I shouldn't get discouraged and give up!

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  3. That feeling when you get to accomplished your goals, PRICELESS! Have fun completing what your heart desires to accomplish.


    -Lynn

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    1. I COMPLETELY agree! It's such a great feeling to check things off of your list! So rewarding. :)

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  4. My favorite goal of yours is to learn a new dish! I'm the worst cook ever, but it's awesome when I experiment with a dish, or try something I find online and it actually turns out well!

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    1. Uhg, me too! hahah, I really don't know that much about cooking and have a very small list of recipes I can make. This way I'm forcing myself to expand. It's a lot of fun once I actually get started, but it can be a daunting task at first.

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    1. Wow! You have really great goals! And I would say you made great strides in your June goals!
      I really need to do this!

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    2. Thank you! I love writing down and posting my goals because it really helps to keep me accountable. If other people know my goals and I get them accomplished it's a lot more rewarding than having to say "ohh, I didn't finish that..". I would highly recommend it!

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  6. Looks like June was a fantastic month for you! Your July goals look amazing. Yes, SEO can be a tricky thing to learn, I think even the best are still trying to figure it out LOL. Good luck on your July goals!

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    1. I will definitely have to dig into SEO this month, for sure. It's relieving to know I'm not the only one that struggles with it, though.

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  7. I love reading goal posts like yours. It always helps to motivate me with my own stuff. Good luck for the month ahead!

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    1. I feel the same way! If i see that someone has posted a list of goals I immediately read it! They're so satisfying to read and always give me good ideas of things I want to do.

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  8. I love reading other people's goals! I just may do something similar to this over on my blog because I think it helps with accountability. :) Have you found that to be true? I found you via the FB blogger group...looking forward to visiting here again soon! :)

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    1. I'm the same way!! Reading other people's goals always inspires me and gives me new ideas of things I want to accomplish that I may not have thought about before. I always have my goals in the back of my head during the day and think about different ways I can accomplish them. I feel so much more motivated to get things done knowing that I put it on my blog that I wanted to accomplish it. For sure! I'm so glad you found me that way! I'l have to take a look at your blog :) I love meeting new blogger friends!

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  9. Glad to hear you were able to accomplish some of your goals. Don't feel bad for the ones you didn't accomplish because it happens to many of us. If there were more hours in a day maybe I will be more successful accomplishing most of my goals. Enjoy the rest of your week. :)

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  10. We love seeing people set goals and accomplishing them. Your lists are realistic and wonderful.

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    1. I usually keep my goals realistic. It's fun to have big 'dream' goals, but I'm more motivated if I know I'm likely to complete my goals. :)

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  11. You have a great thanks for this post here . Like you guy .

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