July/Update!

Hi friends, I feel like it has been a while. That is probably because it has! 

It is already July. Can you believe it! It will be weird not celebrating the 4th of July like we usually do! Before I share my July goals, I want to share how I did on my June goals! Let's recap what they were.

My June goals:
1. Read 5 new books
2. Workout at least 5 days
3. Plan vacations
4. Enjoy the outdoors

Now, we(I) reflect on how I did!

1. I read 3 books! Not quite 5, but still more than May :) Next month (this month) I will do better.

The three books I read were:

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

This book was strange, in all the best ways! It was light and refreshing. Half the book is email messages, which made it incredibly easy to read.

Cancel the Wedding by Carolyn Dingman

An amazing surprise! This book is perfect for the beach or a rainy day or whenever really! It was not as light hearted, but it was really good. The plot and characters were both well developed. I also love a story where the main character does something bold!

First Comes Love by Emily Giffin

Well, this book only came out June 28th. But yes, I managed to finish it yesterday on my train ride from Berlin! I love, LOVE, love Emily Giffin. I had this book pre ordered 6 months ago. It certainly didn't disappoint, but it wasn't my favorite of hers. However, I still enjoyed the story. 

2. Workout at least 5 days

I had every good intention of doing this, and I did well... until I didn't. After Amsterdam, I was sick. And I didn't work out for a week! As soon as I was better, I got back on the horse and tackled my workouts with a vengeance. I was not taking it easy!

 So for July, I hope I don't get sick so I can keep doing this!

3. Plan vacations

You are probably thinking, well that is easy, so I hope she at least did that! 

Well, let me tell you something. IT IS NOT EASY! But yes, I did do this. In its entirety. I didn't just plan one or two. With the help of Blake, we sat down and planned out the rest of 2016! We bought a lot of flights, and made a really pretty Excel sheet. My wanderlust heart is happy.

4. Enjoy the outdoors

Another one I can say I did! Even on the rainy days. I walked through the park, and rode my bike. It was really nice and refreshing. Even on the days I was sick, I got up and walked outside for fresh air. 

So I did OK during June, but I surely need to try harder for July!

My July Goals Are:

1. Read 5 books. 

I am putting this on there until I do it. All 5 in one month! Then hopefully, I can read 5 books every month. I love reading, and sometimes I will read 15 books in a row, but then not read a book for 3 months. I am just trying to be more consistent. :)

2. Continue working out

This may seem silly to you, to put this on there again, but I am probably going to have it on my goals list until I die. #IfWereBeingHonest It is the best way to hold me accountable. 

3. Spend 30 minutes a day on German

My classes start next month! YAY. But, I want to come in prepared. I have books and CD's and Online Courses. I want to set aside 30 minutes everyday where I do nothing but learn German. 

4. BBQ with Blake

I am putting this as a goal because we bought the BBQ, but have only used it twice! If I make it a goal, it will encourage me to plan that for dinner instead of something else.

5. Start running outside.

I need to do this IN addition to my workout DVDs. In September, we have plans to climb this mountain in Switzerland. I read it takes 4 hours and you don't have to be advanced. But I would rather not die after 3 minutes. I really don't like running in general. But I have this idea that if I just start doing it, maybe I will start loving it? Who knows. 

This week we celebrated Blake's 25th Birthday! It was a fun sweet day. :) 

 

In Germany it is customary to bring in a treat on your birthday. You leave the treats on your desk and you get many visitors throughout the day! 

I made an attempt at making my chocolate chip cookies from home. I bought a hand mixer and a food scale. And most of my ingredients. I couldn't find vanilla extract, but I found vanilla bean paste and decided that would do.  They also do not sell moist brown sugar. The packable kind that make cookies so amazing. So I used white sugar and molasses and made my own. But it wasn't the same. Lastly, they don't sell chocolate chips like we know them. I found some small chocolate bits but they came with a hefty price tag. I longed for some Nestlé chips! All in all the cookies were good, but not great! I made him cupcakes to have at home. :) 

We went to OX Steakhouse in Braunschweig. Wow. That is all I can say. It was delicious. 

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You get to visit the salad bar. Mm olives and cheese. 

They brought us each "soup" in a shot glass. It tasted like hot salty beef broth. You can see mine above. I am not sure why they do this!? It was interesting. 

We each ordered a filet and I didn't take a photo because we ate it so fast. It was amazing!!! We were loving our meal. Blake agrees- his birthday was pretty tasty! 

Come back next week to read about my Thursday day trip to Berlin! 

We're road tripping this weekend to a small town in France and The Black Forest in Germany. I will be sharing it all next week. :)