Goodbye, summer!
The temperature outside may say otherwise, but we are officially on the other end of “summer”. To my surprise I spent the last week cleaning out closets and drawers, ordering backpacks, making what feels like the 10th Target run for everything from socks to water bottles to headphones. All of a sudden, there’s so much to do and I’m sneaking off work to squeeze in the back to school doctor’s appointments and much needed haircuts.
Summer break flew by, like always, but this time I am feeling grateful for the time we had - even as the fatigue sets in from being the family Uber driver handling drop offs and pick ups for every camp or trying hard to contain the sprawl from them camping in the living room and watching 8+ hours of crap on YouTube.
This summer had some wonderful memories. It was great to see my daughter get to take part in camps that I only dreamed of as a child - she even had her first overnight at Space Center Houston with her Girl Scout troop. My son became a stronger swimmer with every weekend we spent at the neighborhood pool. He always had a good excuse for an ice cream or popsicle in the evenings. For our big trip, we went to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons and I literally felt the knots in my chest let go breathing in the mountain air. like We visited friends in Austin, family in Minnesota, and spent quality time with people in our lives.
I am even a little - just a tiny bit - sad that the kids will be going back to school and my house will feel so much quieter. But, I am very much looking forward to a normal schedule, having some time for myself, and building back those routines that keep us all sane.
Since my last post was a little heavy, I thought I’d share some of the fun stuff that has kept me floating and bobbing along on the lazy river of life.
What I read…
All the books! After a book funk this spring, I think I finally turned a corner with some solid reads. I try to always have one ‘fun’ book on my nightstand and one more serious, self-help type book on Audible.
For fun:
Our Perfect Storm - 4 Stars - If you like romance novels and a good friends-to-lovers trope, Carly Fortune is your girl. Though I don’t always like her books, I’d say this one at least kept me turning the pages wondering WHEN WILL THEY FINALLY JUST DO IT ALREADY?!
Sandwich - 3 Stars - I have mixed feelings about this one. I appreciated the premise of reading about a woman in menopause dealing with all the emotions that come from being an empty nester to taking care of aging parents. But the plot had some weird points that made me cringe.
What we Carry - Memoir - 5 Stars - My first 5 star of the year! This is a memoir from the point of view of an Indian American woman learning long held secrets from her mom who is suffering from early onset dementia. Sounds serious, it is, but it’s also a great exploration on resetting your identity and figuring out who you want to be as you age.
For learning:
Rich Girl Nation - 4.5 Stars - I read this for a book club and immediately wished I had this when I was 20-something trying to figure out my relationship to money. This is where I learned about the Hot Girl Hamster Wheel, which I wrote about a while back. Its armed me with a better vocabulary to tackle future financial goals. I wish this could be mandatory reading for young women.
The Art of Gathering - 3.5 stars - I picked up this book on a whim because I have always wondered how the meetings, conferences, and even dinner parties I attend could be better. I have this vision for myself facilitating book clubs or fancy dinners and Priya Parker offers some great tidbits on how to connect with people and gather with purpose.
What I watched…
Most of our summer watching revolved around the FIFA World Cup. We even got to go to a game in person in Houston. It was so much fun to cheer on the underdog and I am super bummed we have a couple of years to wait before another Olympics or a World Cup.
I did take solace in The Five Star Weekend, which if you haven’t seen on Peacock, it’s worth the subscription to binge this one season. There need to be more stories, shows and movies about the layers and complications surrounding female friendships. This one has a little bit of everything.
What I listened to…
I’ve been feeling super nostalgic lately while looking for quick pick me ups. I listened to a lot more pre-Lemonade Beyonce, 2000s hip hop and R&B, and then took a detour into a ‘Jesse McCartney Radio’ playlist on Spotify. (If you’re a millennial - it’s so good, trust me!)
While I personally, didn’t have song of summer, my husband made sure to play “Choosin Texas” by Ella Langley every morning (its his alarm!). My daughter obsessively asked Alexa for “Midnight Sun” by Zara Larson. So I guess by default these are now my songs of summer 2026 as well.
What I cooked…
Lots of homemade pizzas, hot dogs, burgers, watermelon and corn on the cobb - easy meals that feel like summer. But when I did some “real” cooking, this NYTimes Cooking recipe became a real chicken dinner, winner! The video on how to cut chicken breasts was life changing.
Love your book recos! Felt the same about Sandwich and was very eager to read the Art of Gathering! It had some good examples, but I think my expectations were a little too high going in. Happy first days of school!