10 Things We Loved In August

August came and went in a flash. With family time, vacations, and back to school prep it was a whirlwind. We are embracing these precious summer days and evenings that still remain. Trying to soak up the last of all those good summer feels to fill up our cups before winter arrives.

Keeping up with the things we loved, here’s some of our favorites from last month.

10 Things We Loved In August

Jess’s 5 Things

my wildflower garden

At the beginning of the summer we bought a bunch of seed packets and planted a wildflower garden in the backyard. I’ve actually never planted flowers from seed before so I really didn’t know what to expect. We finally got blooms in August and it has been so fun. Marin loves to go out and pick flowers and we’ve made a habit of making arrangements every week. I love having my own cutting flowers, especially Cosmos. They’re so pretty.

newsletters

I’ve been on a newsletter kick lately and have discovered some amazing writers. They all have something different to offer but I love setting aside time to read their musings on everything from beauty culture to creativity to motherhood and the patriarchy. Here are a few of my favorites: Jessica DeFino, The Unpublishable (on the beauty industry); Lane Anderson and Allison Lichter, The Matriarchy Report (on the challenges faced by parents, particularly women, in a society that does little to support them); Emma Gannon, The Hyphen (on creativity, burnout, being your own boss); Haley Nahman, Maybe Baby (modern life, cultural critiques, overall really great writing on lots of topics).

Graza Olive Oil

I actually first discovered Graza last winter when a friend sent me a bottle as a gift. I can’t remember if I’ve shared it here but it needed it’s own shout-out. It’s 100% Spanish olive oil, and I love making my own dressing with their Drizzle olive oil. It’s also delicious drizzled on top of fresh tomatoes with a little Maldon sea salt.

Saie Glossybounce

Saie can do no wrong in my book. Their Glowy Super Gel is my dewy skin holy grail. Needless to say I was very excited to try their new Glossybounce hydrating lip oil. No surprise, I love it. It’s hydrating and moisturizing without feeling sticky. It’s a sheer wash of color with a glossy but not too shiny finish. Dream is probably my favorite for fall (a sheer berry), but Bounce is also just the right amount of color while looking totally natural.

Pact organic cotton House Dress

A house dress, an errands dress, a school drop off dress, a weeding the garden dress, call it whatever you want, I have been living in it. It’s easy, it’s comfy and it works for those unexpected hot days we still have lingering. It runs big so I recommend sizing down. It would be a great maternity/postpartum friendly style too!

Kelley’s 5 Things

Birthing From Within

As I mentioned in my post this past week, The Layer Cake of Pregnancy Guilt, I’ve been struggling a little bit with the thought of laboring again. I have found Birthing From Within to be so transformational. To be honest, I didn’t read any maternity/pregnancy books in my first pregnancy and wasn’t really planning to this time around either. So many of them are just too scientific and anatomy focused for me. It overwhelms me. This one felt so much more aligned and helpful. It comes from a place of helping women to reconnect with our intuition and natural ability to move through pregnancy and birth. Our culture and society have moved so far away from what is natural and this book is interactive and so incredibly nourishing! I would highly recommend to anyone that’s pregnant.

Yellowjackets

My husband and I started Yellowjackets a few weeks ago and are already well through the 2nd season. We are completely hooked. When a girls soccer team plane crashes in the remote wilderness they turn into savage clans as survival kicks in. The show moves between the 1990s and present as the survivors of the crash struggle to live their lives with the trauma of what occurred during that horrific time. Full of suspense, drama and dark humor this show will keep you on the edge of your seat at every twist and turn. One of the best shows I’ve watched in a while.

Queen of the Con Season 4

Jess got me into Queen of the Con last year and now I’m a big fan. Johnathan Walton is the absolute best host providing so much wit, humor and authenticity amongst the complete horror of the con artists he highlights. I’m not a housewives fan, but the latest season, The Unreal Housewife, shares the story of Salt Lake City star, Jen Shah. Buckle your seat belts, it’s a wild ride! Also, what is it about con artists that is just so intriguing!?

Remarkably Bright Creatures

Remarkably Bright Creatures has been on my reading list for a while now and I finally dug in this month. As soon as I started, I knew it was going to be a lifelong favorite. This incredibly sweet tale tells the story of an octopus living in an aquarium and the friendships he makes in humans along the way. What may sound like a lighthearted tale has such depth and symbolism. I especially loved the way the author weaved the stories of 3 very unique, witty and adoring characters together.

Easy Going Tunes

My husband recently found this Spotify playlist – easy going tunes and we are loving listening on shuffle. It’s such a nice mix of oldies with some new stuff mixed in and has some new songs I’ve never heard, which are becoming favorites. Great for late summer mornings and evenings. Enjoy.