Reflections on August
List making is one of my very favorite things. This article is part of a series of reflections on things I love about each month of the year. My hope is that in making these lists, I’ll slow down, take note of beauty, and contemplate the moments that matter. Here’s my list of 10 things I love about August.
1. Back to School Routine
Yup, we’re back to school in August and I love getting back into a regular routine after the freewheeling days of summer break.
2. New School Supplies
As a homeschool family, we aren’t required to buy a long list of school supplies each year, but I love letting the kids shop for fresh notebooks and pens that they look forward to using.
3. Organized Office
Speaking of back to school, I make an extra effort in early August to get my office spruced up, decluttered, and organized for the next school year. It’s not Pinterest perfect, the shelves are tided, desk drawers cleaned out, files sorted, and everything has a place. Such a great feeling before beginning a new school year.
Read: Back to School Planning for Homeschool Moms
4. Notebook for To Do Lists
My to-dos felt like they multiplied at an exponential rate in August, which made me thankful for my new-this-year notebook system for keeping track of tasks. I have one journal sized (6″x8″) notebook with a coil binding, cute cover, and lined pages that I use to write down anything I need to remember.
Tasks that I want to get to someday but aren’t going on my calendar or in my planner right away have a place to wait outside my brain until I can get to them.
I’ve done a lot of adding in August and I’m not sure whether I’ll gain much traction on some things, but at least I don’t have to worry about forgetting them. I look at this notebook weekly when I’m adding tasks to my planner for the week.
5. Charcuterie Dinner
Years ago, before our kids were old enough to attend Sunday evening youth group, we had a tradition of Sunday night “snack dinner.” I truly enjoyed that tradition and still miss it, so this month I brought it back for my husband and I to have a slightly elevated snack dinner using a charcuterie board. It was delicious and fun and I’ll definitely do it again!
6. Homemade Pesto
We grew several basil plants in our garden this summer and they produced a bumper crop. Since everyone loves pesto, I made huge batches of pesto and froze it in hockey puck size servings to use throughout the year. Yum!
7. Meteor Shower
Every August I love to watch the Perseid meteor shower. This year I didn’t stay up quite as late as I have in previous years, but I still got to see some “shooting stars.” It always induces awe and wonder to see the sparkling sky and watch the meteors shoot across the sky.
8. Girls Night Out Dinner
Our church held a women’s dinner in a beautiful outdoor location in August. The food was tasty, company was sweet, and the sharing from a few women about what delights their heart was inspiring. The evening was delightful, made especially so because my daughters attended with me.
Read: Practical Tips to Organize Back to School
9. Family Beach Trip
For many years, we’ve squeezed a quick beach trip into August, often with my parents. This year it was just a day trip, but we went to several places we hadn’t been before. Our hour and a half drive was filled with lots of laughter and singing from the back seat, while I soaked up the precious memories of having fun together. We visited the Astoria column, hiked the Cathedral Trail, snapped a quick picture in front of the Goonies house for my husband, ate clam chowder at Mo’s, and visited Sunset Beach on a perfect 68- degree, sunny day. Perfection!
10. Pips Game
Our family has kept up a friendly competition around Wordle and Connections, two daily online games from the New York Times. In August, NYT added a new game called Pips. Essentially, it’s a logic puzzle that requires you to place the dots (pips) of dominoes in the correct configuration.
Two of our five family members say it’s their new favorite game, so I’m playing along because I enjoy the competition.
What to Love About August
My favorites in August ranged from experiences to delicious food to organized routines. Here’s the abbreviated list.
- back to school routine
- new school supplies
- organized desk
- notebook for to do lists
- charcuterie dinner
- homemade pesto
- meteor shower
- girls night out dinner
- family beach trip
- Pips game
Finding something to love, whatever the season, is a way to intentionally focus on gratitude.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…
James 1:17
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What I Love About August
