Whoosh - it's nearly mid-September already! And whoosh! the very worst of the summer heat is behind us. Even though it's still hot (and technically still summer) I have welcomed fall into my home and into my heart and am breathing a sigh of relief. We're at the very beginning of the very best stretch of months here.

We're venturing outside more and more. Soon, oh so soon, we can head to the park any time of day and that will make all the difference: to take our boys, bounding with energy, outside to play and run instead of finding something else to do inside.

The month is marching along and it's already been full but there's lots more to come. On Friday I get to hug Sarah Bagley for the very first time, even though we've been friends for over two years. This weekend Sarah, Erica and I are heading to Sedona to write and talk and laugh for three days straight and it will be glorious. Just two days later I dive into solo parenting for three nights. And the next weekend Chris and I have a date night!

Amidst lots of fun and travel this month my full time job has been demanding and bit more stressful than usual. Plus Erica and I have been working to develop new content for The Girl Next Door Podcast and I'm collaborating with a good friend on a new little side project. It's a lot! But all good stuff and hopefully the work stress will subside as will the extra creative projects tasks. With so much going on this month I'm giving myself only one goal on top of all that I'm already doing. The fall does seem to be a time to be productive!

Big things happening in September:

+ Chris turns 39!

+ Weekend family trip to Prescott. We had so much fun!

+ Sedona writers' retreat. YES.

+ Solo parenting. Chris heads out of town just a couple days after I get back from my writers' retreat. But after July I'm a veteran solo parent so I got this!

September goals:

+ Plan and consolidate weekday evening work sessions. Recording, editing and prepping for podcasts; responding to emails; writing blog posts; and doing general household and life "admin" work often falls to weekday evenings although often all I want to do is curl in bed with a book. Instead of doing a little each night I think I could consolidate everything to just one or two nights per week. I hope this will help me accomplish what I need while letting me relax on the other nights.

Recurring monthly goals:

+ Exercise three times per week. On Monday and Friday mornings I go to Orange Theory and in August I was able to fit in a few weeks with TWO runs. My goal this month (with so much going on) is to fit in one run per week.

+ Publish to RISING*SHINING at least once a week. I'm finding I get into a blogging groove and then lose it, but then find it again. I'm accepting the ebb and flow and know that I always get back to it, that's just life right now!

+ Record and produce new episodes of The Girl Next Door Podcast and Matrimoney on schedule.

Happy September!