We did manage to squeeze a bit more fun out of summer before we all headed back to school mid August. Claire went to a friend’s lake house for a few days. I took Avie and a friend to the Brookfield Zoo. She also visited her great Aunt and Uncle and had lots of fun while I went back to work. Here’s the rest of our month in life lately for August 2025.
Books I’ve Read
- The Summer Girl by Jenny Blackhurst– When her sister Holly goes missing from carefree summer life on Martha’s Vineyard, Claire suspects a text claiming she’s safe is a lie — and must uncover the dark secrets the locals desperately want to hide. There were some good suspects, but this still kept me guessing. 4/5
- The Book of Lost Enchantments by Jessica Dodge– Nora discovers a mysterious red book in an Edinburgh bookstore, and then is swept into a snowbound Highland mystery that connects to her grandmother’s past—and may change everything. So much potential, but I felt some parts were lacking in character development, too much flowery language, and a bit too much fantasy. 2.5/5
- The Fix by Natasha Sinel– Macy’s world unravels after her father’s scandal and her best friend’s betrayal, forcing her to confront painful truths while discovering her own strength and resilience. I liked how this storyline touched on how no one’s life is perfect. 4/5
Recipes I’ve Made
If I had to pick some of this month’s winning recipes, it would be the French Onion Pasta, Icelandic Hot Dog, and Rhubarb Butter Cake. I can’t pick a favorite from these 3 though so you’ll have to try them all!
- Dirt Cake– Claire had so much fun making this. It’s a poke cake so it’s really moist, too.
- Bacon Broccoli Mac and Cheese– So good in theory, but not in execution or flavor. Although I added salt and garlic to the roux, it still was quite bland. If you make this, I’d recommend a lot more seasoning and/or adding another cup of cheese to the sauce before mixing it with noodles. Loved the broccoli addition and bacon on top though.
- Rhubarb Cake with Butter Sauce– This is delicious! The butter sauce is the cherry on top. Two thumbs up!
- Jalapeno Popper Spread -I baked this over grilled chicken as a meal. We ate it with toasted bread pieces, but also as filling in omelettes and grilled sandwiches. It was very good.
- Icelandic Hot Dog– These were pretty spot on. I cooked all beef Angus beef hot dogs in beer, made the remoulade from scratch, and layered it up on toasted buns just like in Iceland. Yum!
- One Pot French Onion Pasta– I made this last night and both girls had second servings. I added spinach and it added some nice color. It would be good with beef, too!
Products I’ve Tried
- Terez & Honor Under Eye Masks- I’ve tried a few different under eye masks. An influencer I follow recommended these so I put them on my birthday wishlist and Matt ended up purchasing them for me. I’ve tried them a few times and really like them so far! What makes them different? These have less packaging which equals less waste. They are nice and thin so they form to your face better. Initially they slide off a bit due to the amount of product, but after pressing the patch lightly, it adhered better. I like there are 3 different types for different concerns. My under eye area looked brighter and felt more hydrated afterwards.
Currently
- Loving- Our summer has been so hot and humid. This week is incredible. We were able to eat dinner on our porch without sweating and our windows are all open.
- Beginning- Claire got me The Summer I Turned Pretty book series and Avie got me The Hallmarked Man (out next week) for my birthday. I’ll be beginning lots of books soon!
- Ending- I just caught up with the most recent season of Sullivan’s Crossing. There was a bit of a cliff hanger at the end. I’m curious to see where it goes next.
- Picking- After a few years of my rhubarb crop going mostly to waste, my family is all about it so I’ve been picking it and freezing it recently. We love rhubarb compote on yogurt. Yum.
- Posting- Now that the girls are back at school and I am back at work, I am posting my daily outfits a bit more often. Hopefully I can keep it up.
- Family Update
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- Avie- Since Avie started 2nd grade, she gets a Chromebook assigned to her that she brings home daily for homework and charging. She was very excited about this. We’ve also been letting her go to neighborhood houses to see if her friends can play and she loves the bit of independence.
- Claire– Claire finally got her first real phone this month. Since she is starting more after school activities we figured it was time. She began cross country practice last week and so far really likes it. Both Claire and Avie attended a swim clinic and got to meet Olympian Elizabeth Beisel.
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- Me- Claire and I did a 5K race last month. She was 3rd in her age group, I placed 4th female, 1st Masters. It wasn’t a great race for me due to humidity, but I’m hoping for better ones this fall. I started back at school and love being back.
- Matt- Although Matt didn’t have to do any swim officiating this month, his work kept him very busy! He’s looking forward to football season (sigh) and the Bears tickets he got for his birthday.
September Goals
- Sign up for fall races- There are at least 4 fall/winter races I’d like to do.
- Plan dates for Girl Scout meetings through end of year- It’s helpful to get dates out early.
- Get house painting scheduled- We need our house trim painted. I want to get a deposit down and have it on the calendar.
- Get a massage– I’ve been meaning to do this for a while!
August Goals Recap
- Plan a Cadette Girl Scout meeting- I’m in the process of planning a kayak trip for them.
- Order and plant a tree in our backyard– I actually decided it would be better to do this in the spring. I don’t want it to die over the winter.
- Order a cake–Done!
- Have a date night– Sort of. Matt and I decided it would be fun to take the kids into the city for a birthday celebration. We all had a great time.
Favorite August Posts
P.S. Are you following me on LTK? I post a lot of my daily looks that don’t make it onto the blog. I hope you enjoyed my Life Lately August 2025 update!
LINKING UP WITH WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY, OVERFLOWING WITH THANKFULNESS
