Every summer there's a thousand summer reading lists where people tell us what we should be reading. Everything from the hottest fiction book (which is apparently Rich People Problems) to those books that are supposed to make our lives better. I mentioned in my summer bucket list my intention to read 3 New York Times Best Sellers so, of course, that meant making a list of books I want to read. Here we are, it's nearly August, and I have yet to finish one. See, my intentions were good, but I have to try harder to accomplish this. Below you'll find some of the books I still plan to shove into what's left of my summer vacation.

Initially when I sat down to write this post I wanted to share some things I do to beat the crazy heat during the summer. Shortly I realized it's slightly different for everyone and the biggest tip of them all really is just to stay inside and avoid it all. Then I realized maybe it's best to just share some of the wellness ideas I'm currently incorporating into my life instead. It's summer and I'm currently existing in the harsh Arizona hellscape so I guess these are currently my best tips for surviving the heat.

Gather round boys and girls it's time for another monthly playlist. Summer is probably one of the easiest times to make mixes. They just kind of write themselves. There's always something playing that sticks with me and creates a memory for years to come. Whether it's enjoying a nice meal with friends at a restaurant or just simply driving in the car when something funny happens, a memory has the ability to stick to these songs like glue (for better or worse). Rather than zone in on a particular summery theme like pool parties, BBQs, or road trips, I decided to try something a little different.

Summertime as an adult takes a lot more effort than it did when I was a kid. There's so many more things that require attention as an adult. I can't just wake up, eat some pancakes, watch MTV, and then hang out in the pool all day. Now if I'm lucky I might get a little vacation or staycation, but usually my time, like many, is spent working. But what about the weekend? Doing more fun adult things like laundry. Given it's mid-July I feel like I haven't made enough time for summer fun.

More than half the year is over which has completely taken me by surprise. I can't think of where the time has gone. It seems like just last week I was starting a new semester and contemplating having my wisdom teeth removed. Now its July. My semester went amazing, the wisdom teeth are freshly removed (yikes), and now we've reached the point of the year where everything begins to move faster than a snowball rolling down a mountainside. I must admit I'm hopeful for the rest of the year and I hope things begin to go a bit more my way, but I must remain cautiously optimistic about the whole thing.