Monthly Recap- August 2022

Grab a seat and take a minute for yourself while we catch up on August 2022.

Recent Buys

• These jeans are fabulous! I am looking forward to wearing them as the days cool down a bit. Super comfy and allow me to move like I need to when chasing after 3 kids. I am still team skinny jeans if you can’t tell.

• I bought these a pink wrap dress and a blue floral dress and they were perfect for birthday parties and other gatherings this summer. Both are breastfeeding friendly and super comfy. Love them both!

• I decided to conquer one small, but frequent annoyance and buy this weighted phone charger. It has been amazing! No more reaching under the nightstand or moving the charger with me all day because I forgot to plug my phone in at night. And no little hands pulling on it either! It stays on my nightstand perfectly still all day and night.

• I’m probably late to the game here, but I got some Stasher bags just over a month ago and I love them! I hate using plastic bags and felt our consumption creeping up out of convenience and needing to keep so much food separate due to allergies. These reusable sealable bags have really helped cut down on our plastic use. Although this small switch in my house isn’t going to single-handedly save our planet, I think it’s worth a try to live a more sustainable life whenever possible.

• I thought I was being forward thinking for the winter illnesses our kids would inevitably bring home, but we have already used this thermometer with only a few days of school under our belts. We’ve gone through several other brands with lackluster experiences. I’m not sure why buying a good thermometer is so challenging, but this one seems to be good so far.

• We’ve had these Bentgo lunch boxes for Brinley and Vaila for a few months now and they are fantastic! We’ve used them for picnics and traveling to visit friends or family when we bring our allergy safe food. Brinley is now using hers for school lunches and is always so excited to see how I pack the food.

• I send Brinley’s lunch in this PackIt freezable lunch box and her food stays nice and cold. I just toss the whole thing in the freezer each night and her Bentgo box fits inside perfectly. Vaila uses this snack version to carry her food to preschool- it’s the perfect size for her and I don’t have to worry about fridge access. Her snack stays cold and it’s large enough to fit a few small things inside.

• We love these Bubba water bottles for the kids. They come in great colors that help keep everyone’s drink identifiable and separate. I really appreciate how easy they are to open for young kids and they are great for school because the mouthpiece is covered and doesn’t get touched during opening. We have had our original one for nearly 3 years and use it just about daily. It goes into the dishwasher and has never leaked! 10/10 recommend.

This month on the Blog…

Here are some of the recent activities from the blog this month. We try to be outside as much as possible, but a lot of these activities can work inside as well- adding a towel or sheet can keep messes contained. I hope you find inspiration and try one of these ideas this month.

Family Happenings

August flew by at a pace that I don’t think bodes well for the next few months, especially now that school has started. I’m sure life will only get busier and I can already feel the squeeze on my time. Here are some of our personal family highlights from this month:

• Ellette started walking! She almost never crawls anymore and is quite speedy if I happen to turn my back for the briefest moment.

• Vaila and Brinly started school! We had the expected tired and emotionally drained versions of them by the end of the week, but overall the transition has been smooth so far and they both love school. It’s awesome to see them learning and gaining independence, but also tugs on my heart to not be needed and the center of their universe in quite the same way I was before. Motherhood is a ride.

• We really took advantage of our neighborhood ice cream truck this year! Ryan had several weekdays off that coincidentally coincided with the ice cream truck day…which now seems highly suspicious the more I think about it. But who doesn’t love a midafternoon frozen treat? And we get to support a local small business, so I say it’s a win.

• I have been working on prioritizing myself and my health, which is very easy for me to let slip. Some days that looks like a meditation before bed, some days that looks like being cognizant of my water intake, and other days that means resting on the couch during naptime instead of doing an extra load of laundry. This season in my life has been challenging to keep up with all of the habits that I know I should, like working out, going to bed early, and getting time to myself every day…or week. My self-care is very basic right now and might not feel energizing to some people- that’s ok. I’m making small moves with the intention that they are sustainable and laying a foundation for future progress. Even though each day doesn’t always pan out like I want, I’m proud that I’m starting.

Make it Monday

I’m all about the quick breakfast or snack items lately. Here is what we’ve been whipping up in the kitchen this month.

• Chocolate chip energy bites via Gimme Some Oven. I love these for a quick snack during or after school. I also made a nut free adaptation for Vaila that turned out pretty well.

• Banana bread bites via Wholesome Family Living. Getting protein snacks in for Vaia can be challenging, so the addition of collagen here was a nice bonus.

• I shared my favorite way to cut a watermelon. Really cuts down on the mess and is great for little hands to grab their own pieces.

• Here is a great chickpea tomato cucumber salad that I ate every day during one of my pregnancies. You can adapt this however you want, but I love to use our fresh garden harvest this time of year.

• Cherry oatmeal cookies via Fit Mitten Kitchen. These are so yummy and easy to pull together. Definitely adding to our regular rotation.

• I love to prep an egg bake about once a month to help ease the time crunch in the morning and make sure everyone gets a filling breakfast. This is super versatile depending on your preferences and what you have in the refrigerator.

Check back next month for the recap of some of our go-to recipes or follow along on Instagram where I share our weekly favorite every Monday.

Looking Forward to September

Do you feel like back to school is more hectic or calms down your busy summer schedule? I thoroughly enjoy our unrushed schedule in the summer and am sometimes jolted into the madness of coordinating work schedules with school drop-off and pickup, not to mention sports or other lessons.

I know it can be tough to squeeze in activities or crafts with the kids, especially if you don’t have the supplies on hand. Here is a sneak peek at some items we will be using next month. Hopefully this makes it easier to follow along and less stressful for you.

• rice

• gelatin (unflavored)- you might not stock this regularly, but the activity was so fun!

• masking or painter’s tape

• scrap paper

Shop the Site

I have created digital downloads for some of the projects and activities from the blog! These are available to purchase from the online store. I’ll add and update items regularly, including birthday and holiday products. If you don’t see what you are looking for, let me know by sending me a message.

Here’s to hoping we can stay centered and remember to prioritize ourselves in this busy season. Cheers!

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