June celebrations, including an updated CELEBRATE playlist

“Life is about creating unforgettable memories and celebrating every chance we get.”

~ Karen Gibbs

I chose CELEBRATE as my 2026 Word of the Year (WOTY). One way I’m putting that word into practice is to take note of the many things I have to celebrate…large and small…during the month and to share the highlights with you on the final Tuesday of each month.

June celebrations

Camino de Santiago pilgrimage

I promise I won’t say too much about this, since I have gone on and on about it for months, but of course, completing the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage was a major celebration for June. If you did miss my recent recap, you can find it here and here.

Or watch it here:

Time with family

Shortly after I returned from Spain, we enjoyed a visit from one of our daughters and her family. I failed to capture a photo of the parents, but I did get this cute one of the grandchildren.

And while they were here, we enjoyed some delicious ice cream from Sweet Rolled Tacos.

Baking banana nut bread

While we had company, we bought a lot of bananas that didn’t get eaten…what with all the ice cream and other goodies. Anyway, after they left I decided to put the over-ripe bananas to good use, using a relatively healthy WW recipe. 

The resulting banana bread was a hit.

Crumbl cookies

I guess the ice cream and banana bread weren’t enough, because the next week, I couldn’t stop myself from ducking into crumbl for these decadent mini cookies…worth every gram of sugar and fat.

Complicated patriotism

I’ve always loved the Fourth of July and celebrating with patriotic nails and clothing. With the current state of our country, patriotism is more complicated. Here’s how I chose to show my love for the ideals our flag represents while acknowledging that we are falling short.

Donating blood after a long hiatus

I haven’t been able to donate blood for a year now, due to low iron. At my recent annual exam, my iron levels were actually on the high end, so I felt comfortable once again contributing in this way.

Another jigsaw puzzle completed

With the weather so hot, I’ve been going through walking withdrawals, but I have taken advantage of the time indoors to complete another fun jigsaw puzzle.

My updated CELEBRATE playlist

Last January I shared with you my CELEBRATE playlist. That list has evolved since then, and I felt like the halfway point of 2026 was the perfect time to share those changes with you. The items in bold are the new additions. 

As a reminder, this list includes songs with “celebrate” in the title, songs about things worth celebrating, and songs that just feel like a celebration.

• I Just Want to Celebrate, Rare Earth
• You Always Make Me Smile, Kyle Andrews
• Celebration, Kool & The Gang
• Walking on Sunshine, Katrina & The Waves
• Good To Be Alive (Hallelujah), Andy Grammer
• That’s the Way (I Like It), KC & The Sunshine Band
• Can’t Hold Us, Macklemore, Ryan Lewis
• Good Feeling, Flo Rida
• I Can See Clearly Now, Johnny Nash
• Best Day of My Life, American Authors
• Dynamite, BTS
• Beautiful, Carole King
• What It Sounds Like, KPop Demon Hunters Cast
• Glorious, Macklemore, Skylar Grey
• Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Cyndi Lauper
• Morning Has Broken, Yusuf/Cat Stevens
• Good Riddance (Time of Your Life), Green Day
• Three Little Birds, Bob Marley & The Wailers
• Dreamers, Jung Kook, BTS, FIFA Sound
• Got Each Other, Interrupters, Rancid
• Born This Way, Lady Gaga
• Super Tuna, Jin
• My Body’s My Buddy, Tessa Violet, Brye
• Bitch, Meredith Brooks
• CELEBRATION, Le Sserafim
• A Little Treat for Myself, Haze Muse

Your turn

1. What is something you celebrated in June?
2. Do you have any song suggestions for my CELEBRATE playlist?
3. What else is on your mind? Anything at all; I just love to hear from you.