September, and the whole summer TBH, has been a whirlwind (is it ever not?). Today’s missive is a round up of all the recent things I’ve been enjoying and doing as summer gently turns to fall. Of note, I was delighted to be featured in an 'Every Body Gets Dressed' post by
last week. Check it out for a closer look into my shopping, spending, and favorite purchases.
And now for my September round up!
📚 Reading
I always have an informal goal to read 52 books throughout the year. Some years I read far more, some years I read far less, but it is always fun to try. In addition to the books I’ve checked out from the library on navigating the toddler years, here are some of my recent and current reads.
It seems like everyone was reading All Fours this summer, and it is my current book club read. I loved this book and know that others have differing strong opinions, but I’m looking forward to the discussion I know it’ll spur among our group. Our other recent read was James by Percival Everett, a re-telling of Huck Finn, and I devoured it. Also read this summer was The God of the Woods, a mystery I loved for it’s summer camp setting in upstate New York, and Sandwich by
, a lovely book about a family set over one week of their summer beach vacation.
I enjoy having both a fiction and non-fiction book on my bedside table. For fiction, I’m currently reading Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout, an author I enjoy reading in the fall. Her writing is gentle and cozy, and she is a master at telling quiet and impactful stories about human relationships. This one is set in Maine, a place our family has on our list to visit next summer. In non-fiction, I’m savoring Becoming Little Shell by
, a local Montana author. I’ve loved his previous work, and this one is a loving look into people and place.📺 Watching
As someone who doesn’t often watch tv, except for sports (see this summer’s favorites: Wimbledon, the Copa, Tour de France, Olympics, US Open), there are a few shows I’ve been watching as I wind down at the end of the day. In no particular order, I’ve been watching The Perfect Couple, Emily in Paris, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and Minnie Mouse on repeat (thanks to my toddler). I’m looking forward to Nobody Wants This, Will & Harper, and How to Die Alone.
🥘 Cooking
Lucky for our family, two of my favorite cooks & authors came out with cookbooks very close to one another. This means I’ve been dog-earing pages left and right as I’m more inspired to cook than I have been in a long time. My all time fave,
, recently published What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking. Her Substack and Instagram are the best, and her recipes are super easy, delicious, and easily adaptable to all dietary needs and preferences, including fickle toddler palates. She’s got three kids, so she knows how to make quick meals that please a diverse crowd. Another long time favorite, , recently published The Weekday Vegetarians Get Simple. Jenny’s recipes are also so quick and so easy, and with a vegetarian in our house, I don’t ever need to worry about whether the recipe will work or how to adapt it. We loved the coconut corn tofu soup!
Our family is in a season where we don’t have a lot of time to spend on cooking lavish meals, so these two cookbooks have simplified our evenings (and leftovers for lunch) and pleased toddlers and parents alike. I never worry about what to cook because these two cookbooks make it easy to decide in seconds.
🍵 Drinking
In addition to my favorite wine subscription that I wrote about in a previous newsletter, I’ve got two drinks on rotation right now. The first, a cup of green tea to replace a cup of coffee in the morning. My standard two-cups-of-coffee-every-morning was making me anxious and jittery, and now I’ve replaced one of those cups with green tea. In addition to the myriad of health benefits, I enjoy the flavor and change of pace. I especially enjoy that the anxiety I was experiencing has lessened.
Second, I’m a huge LMNT fan. Salty electrolytes? No sugar!? Sign me up! I’ve tried both the powder and the sparkling water, and they both taste great and replace the salt I’ve lost after sweaty summer workouts and bike rides. Plus, the company is based in Montana and supports “local heros”— healthcare workers, teachers, first responders and more— through providing them with free LMNT products when they’ve been nominated. I nominated a favorite teacher and she was hooked up with powders and drinks. Being a true community-minded member, she brought them to our gym to then share with others. Because I recommended this superstar, LMNT sent me a referral link to continue to share the salty love with others. Using this link will get you a free sample pack with your first purchase.
🎧 Listening
creates the best playlists for paid subscribers, and I’ve currently got "balancing again for libra szn" on repeat. She also introduced me to this gem of a mashup that is also on repeat, but due to the demands of my toddler who was v excited to show it to her teachers when she got to school this morning. You’re welcome. In podcast land, I’ve been listening to all things fall fashion with , as well as the podcast to keep me up to date on MomTok (see SLOMW show mention above), sapphic pop, and all things culture-related. is super smart and adept at helping me understand the nuance around current cultural happenings.🧶 Making
As mentioned in Vol. 15, I’m currently knitting a Sophie Scarf from Petite Knit. I think this project is totally doable for a beginner, and it would make a great holiday gift for all sorts of people. I’m making one in a cobalt blue right now to give me a pop of color in the dreary winter. It works up super quickly and it feels nice to be using my hands to create again.
🪩 Celebrating
Close friends just hosted a fall equinox celebration in their backyard, and it perfectly marked the transition from summer to fall in a meaningful way. The evening was filled with delicious food, a equinox themed scavenger hunt for kids, an equinox themed dessert competition with prizes, music by the incredibly talented Naomi Moon Siegel Quartet, a GLITTER STATION for adding extra sparkle, costumes at hand, and connection with friends. The summer and winter solstices are usually celebrated and marked as a transitional time, but I appreciated the opportunity to mark this transition into fall in a more formal and fun way. I highly recommend thinking about ways in which you might mark this transitional season, and I will always, despite it being a microplastic (I feel a deep dive into this coming soon— let’s chat why fast fashion is much worse for the environment?!), recommend adding a little more glitter. ✨
Until next time, thanks for reading! xo
P.S. Thanks for all the love and feedback on my previous newsletter, Horsing Around. It seems like y’all really loved the themed uniform post, and I plan on doing more of them in the future.
God of the Woods was excellent. Currently reading All The Colors of the Dark which is like 600+ pages so taking me forever, but really into it.
Love that sophie scarf pattern, a great project for this season!