Welcoming August.

August is this beautiful pause in the year. Not quite all summer, not quite all fall. It's still roughly ten million degrees outside, but the stores are filled with back to school supplies. I love this month. It's full of my favorite summer things with the slowly creeping in anticipation that all my favorite fall things are right around the corner. It's a good month. 
Question: What if this could be the month that could change everything?
Second question: Why can't this be the month that changes everything? 
August. 
What a beautiful month to do something amazing. 
Some of us, the amazing thing we need to do involves doing. It involves getting up early and putting in the time and working harder than usual and checking things off a to-do list. It is important and sacred and requires hard work. 
Some of us, the amazing thing we need to do involves less doing. It involves slowing down, learning to take deep breaths, saying no more, pushing some things off of our plate. It is important and sacred and requires hard work. 
Take a few moments today and be honest with yourself: What do you need from August? And what does August need from you? 
You're the only one who can answer that question. You know what you need to do more of and you know what you need to do less of. You know where you're not pushing yourself enough and where you're completely overwhelmed. So take stock of that and decide - you're going to have a good freaking month. August? It's gonna be your month. 
Let's welcome this month with open arms. Let's leave whatever hard things happened in July in July and welcome the fresh start of new beginnings. 
Let's be so open to the magic that August has to offer.  
Happy August, beauties.

What July Taught Me.

1. Just because something is over doesn't mean you've dealt with it in the way you need to. || Anybody else guilty of trying to move RIGHT past something hard the second it's over? This month taught me, nice try - but no. When you go through hard things, or stressful things, or overwhelming things...just because those "things" finish doesn't mean your feelings do. And that's okay! It's okay to process as long as you need to. 
2. Don't even SIT at tables where you will be the topic of conversation when you get up. || I've always loved that quote, but this month really taught it to me from a new perspective. Not only should you not trust those people, you shouldn't even sit down at the dang table. You're worth so much more than that, and your time is worth so much more than that. 
3. Your morning sets the tone for your day. || I mean, I kind of wish this one wasn't true. It would be nice to lounge around every morning and still have a productive day. Alas, not the case for me. If I have a rushed and stressful morning, I will have a rushed and stressful day. If I have an intentional morning, my day follows suit. 
4. It's beyond okay to change. || Slowly or overnight or rarely or often. Drastically or subtly. You are allowed to change. In big ways and small ways. And - here's the kicker - you don't have to explain it to anyone other than yourself. 
5. Find the good in whatever season you're in instead of wishing it away. || If I could have fast forwarded through most of the last eight months, I would have. There was some terrible stuff in there. But now that I'm here, in hindsight I can see how much good stuff I would have missed. I would have missed laughing while Jack jumped on the bed and sang "5 little monkeys." I would have missed laughing with my best friends. I would have missed good books and good dinners and beach days. 
There's always good, even in the midst of the worst seasons. And the truth is that you can't fast forward through the hard stuff. So look for the good. If you look hard enough, you'll find it. 
What did July teach you? Don't forget to use the instagram template and tag me so I can share your lessons, too! 

My Favorite Things I Discovered in July.

These shoes and this belt. || Unless you're brand new around here, you know that I have a fierce love of all the colorful things. Especially when it's summertime. Sometimes you just really need to have a neon moment, you feel? These were both on sale at Target and they're so fun. I will be wearing both of them every chance I get. 

Vanilla bean creme brûlée k cups. || When my beloved coffee maker bit the dust earlier this year, I was pretty devastated to find out it had been discontinued. We ended up getting one that had both a coffee pot and a k cup side, so I (obviously) have used this opportunity to try alllll the k cup flavors. 
These are delicious. And they're Target brand, so they're cheaper than normal k cups. Big, big fan. 

Countertime skincare line. || HOLY GLOW, BATMAN. I know a lot of people switch to clean beauty to avoid toxins - and bravo to you! But I'm going to be honest and let the shallow side of me show and tell you I switched to clean beauty products because I just really, reallllllly wanted my face to stop breaking out. Turns out, it did the trick! 
This is Beautycounter's newest line and it is MAGIC. It's anti-aging and in seven days has already smoothed my forehead lines (that I don't wanna talk about) out. It's plant-derived retinatural (haha - get it?) that works like retinol without being super bad for you. I've only been using it for a week, but I've used a lot of skincare lines (love trying new ones, it's a problem), and this is my favorite one so far. Also, they come in glass containers instead of plastic, which just feels super fancy, and YOU NEED THAT SOMETIMES, OKAY?!

What's something good you discovered in July?!

Books I Read in July (And Whether Or Not You Should Read Them).

Something in The Water by Catherine Steadman 
Plot: If you could make one simple choice that would change your life forever, would you?   Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of a professional breakthrough, Mark a handsome investment banker with big plans. Passionately in love, they embark on a dream honeymoon to the tropical island of Bora Bora, where they enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water. . . .
 
Could the life of your dreams be the stuff of nightmares?  
Suddenly the newlyweds must make a dangerous choice: to speak out or to protect their secret. After all, if no one else knows, who would be hurt? Their decision will trigger a devastating chain of events. . . .  
Have you ever wondered how long it takes to dig a grave?  
Wonder no longer. Catherine Steadman’s enthralling voice shines throughout this spellbinding debut novel. With piercing insight and fascinating twists, Something in the Water challenges the reader to confront the hopes we desperately cling to, the ideals we’re tempted to abandon, and the perfect lies we tell ourselves.
Favorite quote: “Scary, in a way. How quickly what is good can become not good enough through comparison.” 
My thoughts: I bought this book a few months ago on Audible and could not get into it. I didn't make it past the second chapter and just chalked it up to being overhyped. But after seeing lots of friends rave about it in the last few weeks, I decided to give it another go with the physical book. Annnndddd I read it in a single day. It was so good! Not only did this book have twists I didn't see coming, the whole plot took (several) turns I didn't see coming at all! 
Should you read it? Yes! 
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren 
Plot: Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything. Her identical twin sister Ami, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Her meet-cute with her fiancé is something out of a romantic comedy (gag) and she’s managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of Internet contests (double gag). Worst of all, she’s forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man.
Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. And now there’s an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs.

Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But the weird thing is that she doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of... lucky. 

Favorite quote: "I see all these choices unrolling in front of me - career, travel, friends, geography - and despite things being insane and hard and messy, I don't think I've ever liked myself more than I do now. It's the strangest feeling to be proud simply because I'm taking care of me and mine. Is this what it's like to grow up?” 
My thoughts: This book was adorable! My favorite romcom I've read in awhile. I read it sick in bed over the holiday weekend (booooo), but it would be the perfect beach or pool read!
Should you read it? Yes! 
The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
Plot: Two Truths and a Lie. The girls played it all the time in their cabin at Camp Nightingale. Vivian, Natalie, Allison, and first-time camper Emma Davis, the youngest of the group. But the games ended the night Emma sleepily watched the others sneak out of the cabin into the darkness. The last she--or anyone--saw of them was Vivian closing the cabin door behind her, hushing Emma with a finger pressed to her lips.
Now a rising star in the New York art scene, Emma turns her past into paintings--massive canvases filled with dark leaves and gnarled branches that cover ghostly shapes in white dresses. When the paintings catch the attention of Francesca Harris-White, the wealthy owner of Camp Nightingale, she implores Emma to return to the newly reopened camp as a painting instructor. Seeing an opportunity to find out what really happened to her friends all those years ago, Emma agrees.

Familiar faces, unchanged cabins, and the same dark lake haunt Nightingale, even though the camp is opening its doors for the first time since the disappearances. Emma is even assigned to the same cabin she slept in as a teenager, but soon discovers a security camera--the only one on the property--pointed directly at its door. Then cryptic clues that Vivian left behind about the camp's twisted origins begin surfacing. As she digs deeper, Emma finds herself sorting through lies from the past while facing mysterious threats in the present. And the closer she gets to the truth about Camp Nightingale and what really happened to those girls, the more she realizes that closure could come at a deadly price.
My thoughts: This book was shaping up to be a decent whodunit, then halfway through took a turn that totally shocked me. Like, I got chills when I read the page and had no choice but to stay up way too late to finish it. I love those kinds of books! 
Should you read it? Yes! 

The Rest of The Story by Sarah Dessen 
Plot: Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when she was ten. But she does remember the stories her mom told her about the big lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees at the edges.
Now it’s just Emma and her dad, and life is good, if a little predictable…until Emma is unexpectedly sent to spend the summer with her mother’s family—her grandmother and cousins she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl.

When Emma arrives at North Lake, she realizes there are actually two very different communities there. Her mother grew up in working class North Lake, while her dad spent summers in the wealthier Lake North resort. The more time Emma spends there, the more it starts to feel like she is divided into two people as well. To her father, she is Emma. But to her new family, she is Saylor, the name her mother always called her.

Then there’s Roo, the boy who was her very best friend when she was little. Roo holds the key to her family’s history, and slowly, he helps her put the pieces together about her past. It’s hard not to get caught up in the magic of North Lake—and Saylor finds herself falling under Roo’s spell as well.

For Saylor, it’s like a whole new world is opening up to her. But when it’s time to go back home, which side of her will win out?

Favorite quote: “Life is big and huge and scary. But you have to go and take your part of it. There’s a reason the saying is ‘Seize the day,’ not ‘Wait for it to come along at some point.” 
My thoughts: THE SWEETEST NOSTALGIA. Sarah Dessen is my favorite YA author, and reading this felt like visiting an old friend. There were so many Easter eggs hidden throughout the story that referenced her other books, and it felt like a nod to old fans. So sweet. 
The story itself was beautiful. Sarah has a way of writing about really hard things - in this case, addiction, death, and family abandonment - by weaving it into a story that sucks you in. This book was no exception. I loved every page and was so sad when it ended. I'm already excited for the next one! 
Should you read it? If you like YA, yes! 
What did you read this month, and do I need to read it?!

Real Life Coming in Hot.

shirt here // bralette here 

I posted a little about this earlier, and while I love me some instagram, my heart lies in this little space of the internet where I can write and write and write and no character limit can stop me! 
Some real life for you: I had an allergic reaction to something last week (I'm allergic to some random things and try to be so careful, but sometimes I get too comfortable and forget to check). My skin is peeling like a freaking reptile and my face is on FIRE. 
Jack was up sick all Sunday night and had to stay home from school. He's smart, so today he's putting together that he hasn't been to school in more days than normal, so he's demanding to get in the car and go to school right this minute. Spoiler alert: There's no school on Tuesdays. 
I forgot what day it was, so I missed paying a tiny little bill, and in return got charged a late fee that was more expensive than the actual bill. COOL. 
So like, a little bit crappy, you know? 
But also: 
I got to hang out and eat pizza and drink coffee with my family this weekend and it was so much fun. I have discovered a new favorite queso and enjoyed way too much of it while eating some delicious tacos last night. I have SUCH a fun weekend planned that kicks off in just a few days. 
So like, a little bit good, you know? 
It's not all good, but it's not all bad, either. 
One of my favorite quotes is: "It's not always rainbows and butterflies, but a lot of it actually is."
I'm actually a fan of talking a little bit about the non-great days, because honestly, isn't it a little refreshing to be reminded that you're not the only one on the internet who has bad days and who doesn't have their life together? 
But I'm a huge fan of talking a lot about the good stuff, because happiness breeds more happiness. 
And really - when you discover a new queso, you just gotta shout it from the rooftops, ya feel? 

Some Weekend Inspiration: Dance While You Can.

"To not dance when you had the health and could hear the music could be the biggest regret of your life."
I read that quote this week and it got me RIGHT in the feels. I think we should remember that this weekend. 
Don't get so bogged down with life that you forget to enjoy it. 
Some seasons feel like to-do list after to-do list after to-do list. I get it. If you watched my instagram stories yesterday, you know that I spent a good amount of the morning trying to dry off a ceiling my toddler soaked because he wanted it to rain in the house. So I get it. There wasn't a whole lot of room for dancing yesterday. 
But maybe there should have been. 
I get so caught up in the thought of day-to-day life having to be one or the other: It can be fun or it can be productive. It can be relaxing or it can be serious. It can be a dance party or it can be hard work. 
But honestly, I think it's about it being both. 
Chase the dream. Do the work. Eat the salad. Drink the water. Be disciplined. But enjoy life, too. 
Do the laundry (because someone has to), but also sit in the sunshine. Go to work (because, mortgage), but dance it out to your favorite song when you get home. Exercise (because, health), but eat some pizza if you want it. 
Life, after all, is meant to be lived. 
So dance if you want. Wear what you want. Laugh way too loud when you're happy. And don't, for one second, care what anyone else might be saying about it. 
Because you can hear the music, and there's life to be lived. 

Who Would You be if You Cared a Little Less About What Other People Think?

Just wanna start out by saying this is one of my BIGGEST struggles in life, so I'm 10,000% preaching to the choir here. But this is something I've been thinking a lot about recently. 
Who would you be if you cared a little less about what other people think? 
I think we are all created to be these incredible people. I think we are built with the ability to accomplish amazing things. I also think there are certain things we do that can take away from that. 
It's kind of like this: My body was made to be functional. It can do all the things it was made to do. But if I actively choose to stop drinking water, things are going to go downhill fast. It's no longer going to do the things it was capable of. Not because it wasn't good enough, but because of something I did (or in this case, didn't do) to it. 
That's how worrying about what other people think is for me. It dehydrates me, to be cheesy and specific. It paralyzes me. I'm no longer able to do all the things I know I'm capable of doing. It dims whatever light I'm shining. It takes the amazing person I could be and cuts her in about half, because half of an amazing person seems safer, quieter, less likely to be gossiped about. 
...Isn't that a shame? 
And even though I know it's a shame, it's still a struggle for me. I can write this post and believe every word and I'm still going to wake up tomorrow and at least once worry about what someone else thinks of me. I'm working on it, but it's hard for me. 
So instead of trying to figure out ways to stop worrying about what other people think, I'm asking myself: Who would I be if I cared just a little bit less about it? 
Worrying about what other people think of me is probably never going to fully go away. But. What if I cared about the answer a tiny bit less? Who would that version of me be? 
Would she be braver? Would she post more? Write more? Would she be happier? Are there things she would stop doing because she doesn't love them? Would she be more of the person she was created to be? Would she accomplish more? I think so. 
That's the person I want to be. So I'm going to let that motivate me. I think you should do the same. 
Ask yourself, honestly: Who would you be if you cared a little less about what other people think?