August 2025 // A List

1. August arrived like a whirlwind. The month flew by, and now it's the last day of August. This was a busy month, full of various events. There were good days and not-so-great days, but overall, August was pretty great.

2. August marks the start of the seasonal transition from summer to fall. A few days ago, I saw a gorgeous leaf on the ground that reminded me of the upcoming arrival of fall. For the past couple of weeks, we've experienced "false fall," and it brought me so much joy.

3. School started in early August, and it's wild that a month of school has already passed. I'm back at work as well. We've gotten back into our normal routine, and it's been going well. 

4. The month of August was filled with great books. My favorite reads of the month were  A Suit or a Suitcase by Maggie Smith, How About Now by Kate Baer, Just One Gift by Linda Sue Park, and Falling in Vermont by Elise Kennedy.

5. I'm still enjoying the New York Times games and really like their latest game, Pips.

6. Spooky season is almost here, and I have been loving fall decor. Michaels has some amazing wall decor, and I have my eye on this Ghost Ball print/painting. 

7. I'm so sad that I can no longer find Rainier cherries. They have been my absolute favorite summer fruit this year. However, I am excited for fall and Halloween seasonal food and treats. I've already bought pumpkin spice hot chocolate and am looking forward to trying new seasonal whipped cream to pair with it.

8. Pumpkin Spice lattes are back, and I had my first one on the last Friday of the month. It was absolutely delicious and the perfect pick-me-up after a rough week.

9. I'm still dealing with this creative block, and I am so glad I stumbled on this much-needed reminder.

10. I don't usually care about shopping for clothes, but I bought several joggers from Old Navy and am now obsessed. I bought several in different colors, and they are perfect for everyday wear, but I just realized the colors are also perfect for fall.

11. World news and what's going on in the United States is just awful. I hate it when I open social media or the news, and it's usually something terrible. I'm so grateful that I keep seeing stories on Good News Movement's Instagram page. I love that they only share good news. I think we could all use a little bit of good news now more than ever.

12. I tried a bunch of healthy snacks this month and really enjoyed them all. I've been more conscious of the types of snacks I buy and have been slowly including them in my snacks at work. I've also been eating more breakfast and am currently loving overnight oats. 

13. I found myself thinking a lot about what I'd like to accomplish within a year and am thinking of plans to make those happen. I love that I am now in a phase where I have a better idea of what I want for my career and the changes I need to make to accomplish my goals. Having the summer off and returning this month has really put things in perspective. And for that I am grateful.

14. August was a fast-paced month, and I'm looking forward to a less hectic month in September. I'm looking forward to the official start of fall. I'm looking forward to decorating our home, catching up on shows, baking all the fall baked goods, reading some great books, more trips to the farmers' market, and all the cozy vibes.

15. So long, August, you were eye-opening, and I learned a lot this month. Hello, September, I've got such high hopes for you.

Photo by Anita Austvika on Unsplash

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! Today, I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly happy and grateful list link-up.

1. I received an advance copy of Brittany Viklund's upcoming book, The Little Book of Winter. I'm so excited to read this book. 

2. "False Fall" is back again, and I'm here for it. The crisp morning air feels glorious. I saw a leaf on the ground, and it made me dream of fall.

3. I Thought Grief Would Destroy Me by Megan Falley

4. After a rough week, I treated myself to a Pumpkin Spice latte, and it was absolutely delicious.

5. I have a new post over at the Atlanta Mom Blog. I'm sharing a list of upcoming family-friendly movie releases. 

6. I'm always inspired by Kristin Tweedale's Daily Pages and absolutely love this prompt she used on a daily page spread. I think I may even try the prompt as a Currently or seasonal list. 

7. A wonderful reminder.

8. Snickerdoodle Twix. So good!

9. These words.

10. It's finally Friday! Hooray for the long weekend!

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Just Five Things

1. It's the last week of August, and I'm so excited that the "Ber" months are coming! Tomorrow is the return of Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte, and as an after-work treat, I may stop by to pick one up. 

2. Season 2 of With Love, Meghan premieres tomorrow, August 26, 2025, and I'm looking forward to watching this season. I may wait until the weekend to watch a few episodes. I also found out that As Ever, Meghan's food brand, has a new release coming out tomorrow as well. 

3. I've been reading so many books. I just finished reading Falling in Vermont by Elise Kennedy and absolutely loved it. It's the perfect book for fall. Currently, I'm reading an advance copy of Kate Baer's How About Now, and I'm enjoying it. There are so many poems that are pure perfection. 

4. I want to bake all the fall baked goods. This weekend, I think I'm going to make some chocolate chip pumpkin bread using this recipe. I might make a list of fall treats and dishes I want to make this fall. Maybe I'll make a fall recipe every week.

5. I've been making and eating overnight oats for breakfast for the past few days using Bob's Red Mill Vanilla Almond Overnight Protein Oats. I've been adding chocolate chips to my overnight oats and plain yogurt. It's delicious! I love that my breakfast is ready to go in the morning, and it's so filling. 

What have you been up to?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Mark Huang on Unsplash

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Saturday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly happy and grateful list link-up.

1. It was technically a short work week, and it was glorious. However, when we do have short work weeks, my days get mixed up. I was pleasantly surprised when I remembered midweek that it was Wednesday and not actually Tuesday. 

2. I've been enjoying playing the New York Times' games and really like their newest game, Pips. 

3. A song on repeat: Everybody Scream by Florence + the Machine. I am incredibly excited for their upcoming album, which is going to be released on October 31, 2025. 

4. I bought a mug tree, and I'm so excited to put it to use. 

5. Currently Reading: How About Now by Kate Baer

6. As we get closer to fall, I've been in a spring-cleaning-like mood. We started deep cleaning and decluttering our home. It's been great being able to get rid of a bunch of stuff. 

7. To Do List / Reframe by Loryn Brantz

8. Currently Watching: Untamed. I haven't watched a lot of shows and still have a ton of series to catch up on, but Untamed was on my list of shows I wanted to watch. I don't usually watch a lot of murder mystery shows, but this one really caught my attention. So far, it's pretty good, and I was excited to find out that Netflix renewed it again. 

9. After deep cleaning the house and spending half the day running errands, it felt so good to eat a giant slice of New York-style cheesecake and watch a new show (read #8).

10. This rainy weather has me dreaming of fall. We're supposed to get lower temps again next week, and I'm looking forward to it. 

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Saturday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly happy and grateful list link-up.

1. This fall-ish weather. All week long, it's been rainy with temps in the mid to upper 60s (and high 70s to 80s). The cooler weather has been glorious, and it's been making me want to start decorating for fall and Halloween.

2. This Is Your Sign to Rest

3. I bought some cargo joggers from Old Navy, and they are my new favorite pants. I have four in Dusk Navy, Black Jack, Boxwood (my favorite!), and Dark Ivy. It looks like they just put them on clearance, so if you've been on the lookout for some great joggers, now is your time to get them.

4. A song on repeat: Go Round by Giulio Cercato

5. The trailer for With Love, Meghan was just released a few days ago, and I'm so excited.

6. These words by Megan Falley. The phrase "little valentines from the dead" really struck me. In fact, that entire part really resonated with me.

7. I organized my art supplies again, and it was so much fun. It was so nice to have a much clearer workspace. I also put aside a few things for my (new) journal, which I plan to start soon. I'm so excited to dig in and just create. My goal for this journal is to simply play with supplies. I really hope I don't overthink anything or change my mind about the journal I plan to use.

8. This was absolutely wonderful.

9. This layout by Ali Edwards really inspired me. What a fun way to document art journaling and painting inspiration!

10. Picking out new books at the library. I'm so excited to start some new-to-me books. If you have any fun fall-ish children's book recommendations, please let me know.

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

If You and I Had Coffee

If you and I had coffee...

We'd meet at one of our favorite small coffee shops. We'd stay indoors because it's raining. We'd order a few pastries and wonder when the fall seasonal drinks will finally come back. Last week, we had a taste of fall, and it looks like we're going to get another round of "fake fall" again this week.

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that this seasonal transition from summer to fall always has me feeling...conflicted. I'm so excited for autumn's arrival and will always prefer autumn to summer, but I still want to savor summer's last few weeks. The signs of autumn have been making their appearance, but summer is still making itself known. For some reason, the seasonal transition from summer to fall is the one I notice the most. It's just not the same as the other seasonal transitions (i.e., fall to winter, winter to spring, spring to summer). 

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I'm still trying to decide how I want to decorate our dining room table for fall. I have an idea of what I'd like the centerpiece to be, but I need to decide if I want to add anything else to the centerpiece. Honestly, the main base of the centerpiece will determine what else I decide to add. I'm also excited to bake all the fall treats. I've found a few recipes I'd like to try this fall. Yes, I'm also working on my fall bucket list.

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that the first week of school has come and gone. We're all settling back into a routine. The boys had a great first week of school, which I'm so thankful for. Waking up to go back to work on the first day was a struggle (still getting used to waking up super early), but overall it's been alright. 

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you I noticed that my screen time on my phone has decreased by almost 50% for the week. I was pleasantly surprised when I received the notification stating how much the amount had decreased. To be fair, I use my phone to read a lot (Substack newsletters, ebooks, etc.). 

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you I've been enjoying ELLE's Office Hours series. Shout out to Cup of Jo because they are the reason I found out about the series after they shared Jenny Han's interview on their latest post. After reading Jenny Han's interview, I went down a rabbit hole and read a few other interviews.

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you I'm so glad we were able to catch up. It's always a blast when we have these little coffee chats. Also, can you believe that we're almost halfway through August? This month is already going by so fast. Maybe we'll catch up next month before it's officially autumn. I hope you have a great rest of your month and continue to savor the last few weeks of summer. See you next month!

What would you tell me?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Esra Afşar on Unsplash

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Saturday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly happy and grateful list link-up.

1. The boys' first week of school was great. So far, they have been enjoying their classes. We're still adjusting to getting back to a routine, but it hasn't been too bad. 

2. False Autumn. This past week, Mother Nature was such a tease. The cooler temps, the rainy weather, all the autumn vibes. I'm so excited for autumn's arrival. 

3. A great read: A Suit or Suitcase: Poems by Maggie Smith

4. A song on repeat: Ordinary by Alex Warren

5. Liz Lamoreux and Kelly Barton announced that they collaborated on a new e-course called Everyday Tiny Miracles, and it sounds amazing! I think this will be the perfect class for September, especially as we transition to a new season.

6. On my wishlist: Autumn Evening Candle by Noteworthy Candle Co. and Dancing Skeletons sweatshirt by Hazel Made Co.

7. If Summer Were A Color by Haley Weaver

8. I usually love Fridays, but this past Friday did not start well. My car started shaking, but thankfully, John was able to fix it. Luckily, it was not an expensive fix either. But my goodness, it was incredibly stressful. We had to make adjustments to our plans for the day, but all is well. 

9. Today was National Book Lovers Day. I only realized because I decided to pop into Barnes & Noble before heading home. I love a good book-related holiday. I didn't buy any books to read (I still have so many to read), but I did buy a sketchbook. There was even an author at the bookstore who had a book signing. It was kind of cool to see. I hope the book signing event went well for her.

10. These words by Morgan Harper Nichols.

      

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

August Goals

Happy Monday! Can you believe the month of July has come and gone? July really flew by, and I'm a little sad that it's August. Summer break is over. August is such an odd month. We're in what I think of as a transition season. Summer is definitely still here, but fall is right around the corner. Although I'm so excited for fall, I'm going to keep enjoying the rest of summer. 

July was an eventful month. We had lots of appointments to prepare for the upcoming school year. Michael and Raphael are now wearing glasses, and they look so handsome. We finished back-to-school shopping for the kids. 

John and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary. We went to dinner at Maggiano's (where we had our wedding reception) and had a lovely date night. The gorgeous bouquet John gave me is still alive. One of my favorite traditions is getting a bouquet of our wedding flowers. 

My older sister, brother, and I visited Mami. It was nice for all of us to be together. Our little sister wasn't able to make it, but hopefully we'll all catch up soon. The boys had a blast spending time with their cousins. 

I tried lots of new-to-me things like food and drinks. I definitely indulged in all the summer foods like strawberry shortcake ice cream, mixed berry smoothies, rainier cherries, BLTs, and homemade pizza. I also visited a couple of new-to-me small businesses and a few shops I hadn't visited in a long time. 

July was a self-care heavy month, especially since July marks the end of our summer vacation. I read so many good books. I was so grateful to get an advance copy of Saeed Jones and Maggie Smith's book, The People's Project. I also read so many good newsletters on Substack. 

July was such a whirlwind that I didn't think too much about my goals. And since I've mentioned my goals, let's have a quick recap of my July goals and then check out my new goals for August. 

Recap of July Goals

• Read 2 books I borrowed from the library: I read Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green. I also read The Most Boring Book Ever by Brandon Sanderson with Raphael. 

• Read 2 books I received from NetGalley: I read I Am the Swarm by Hayley Chewins, A Rebellion of Care by David Gate, 31 Days of Spooky by Harper Celebrate, and The People's Project by Saeed Jones and Maggie Smith. My absolute favorite read was a tie between A Rebellion of Care and The People's Project. 31 Days of Spooky made me yearn for autumn and Halloween. 

• Participate in Exhale's blog hop: Unfortunately, I didn't participate in the blog hop. The prompt stumped me, but I still want to try to work on it. The Exhale Creativity community is on a sabbatical this month, so it's the perfect time to look back at some prompts and see if there's any I'd like to work on. I may even try to work on a few other creative exercises. 

• Try 1 new recipe: I made chocolate chip banana bread using GoNanas banana bread mix. I love that you can add other ingredients to the mixes. Try adding fresh strawberries to any of their chocolate bread mixes or the original banana bread mix...you'll thank me later. 

• Work on a photography exercise: Yikes. I completely forgot to do this. 

• Declutter at least two closets: We went through the boys' closets and were able to fill up three boxes full of clothes to sell and/or donate. I'm still shocked at how much stuff we can accumulate. I definitely need to work on my closet next.  

• Work in my sketchbook/journal: Ugh. I'm disappointed I didn't work in my sketchbook. Every time I tried, I kept struggling to choose which sketchbook or journal to use. In fact, I'm still struggling with this. I'm not sure if I want to work in a pocket-sized Moleskine watercolor notebook, a mixed media spiral pad, or one of my Get Messy journals. This has been really frustrating because I'm bursting with so much creative energy, and I'm just stuck on what journal to use. 

• Make at least 1 scrapbook/Project Life layout: I also forgot to work on this. However, I do need to order some prints for some layouts.

August Goals

• Read 1 book I borrowed from the library
• Read 2 books I received from NetGalley
• Work on one previous blog hop prompt from Exhale
• Try 1 new recipe
• Work in my sketchbook/journal
• Make at least 1 scrapbook/Project Life layout
• Start getting back to meal planning

What are your goals for August? How did you do in July?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Andrea Stuart on Unsplash