Monthly Musings

Hello and happy Thursday! My attendance question for my students this week was “What’s your favorite day of the week?” Mine is Thursday…and it has been for as long as I can remember!

Where did August go?! It’s already the last Thursday of the month, so I’m linking up with Holly and Patty for Monthly Musings.

This month’s topic is…early fall and back to school.

This post is perfect timing because the temps this week were “giving” fall, and I’m here for it.

1. Any back to school traditions?

I’ve always loved school supplies, and when the kids were little, we’d take a day to go get school supplies, back to school haircuts, and lunch. I always tried to make it a fun but productive day.

And, as I’ve shared time and time again, I’m a big fan of a back to school breakfast. During the elementary years, I always decorated, made breakfast, bought them a book, and started the year off right.

During the middle school years, we did back to school “brinner” the Sunday before back to school. Since the kids left for school after I did at that point, I thought it would be something different for us to do, and it gave me a bit more time in the evening rather than rush to do something in the morning.

Now, we go to IHOP whenever we can squeeze in a dinner together! I still love the tradition…even if it’s changed a bit through the years.

2. How do you celebrate the first day of school?

I’m not sure that there’s much celebrating going on these days, but like I said above, I always tried to make the start of the school year fun for the kids…and I was trying to get myself pumped for another year of teaching too!

I guess this could have gone with my answer to #1, but I also love first day of school pictures!

The chalkboard remains the same, but the kids sure have gotten older.

I’m not trying to think about the fact that I have two first days of school left with the chalkboard photo.

3. Favorite early fall/back to school meals? Share a recipe.

I start using the slow cooker more and more once we get back to school. A “go to” recipe that I make once or twice a month is my “Fiesta Chicken.” It’s easy and makes a ton…plus, everyone will eat it!

4. What are your go to outfits for early fall?

Oh, I’m definitely a cardigan girl in the fall and spring. I’ve shared my favorite cardigan many times, but it’s still a favorite…that I have in FOUR colors…

I wore the pink one over a black sleeveless dress just this week and then I took the “apricot” one to wear in the drafty gym at Hadley’s volleyball game the other night too. The cardigan is a 10/10 for me, and comes in so many colors.

I also love light weight pants paired with a short sleeve blouse. This week, I wore a pair of my Target “sailor” jeans with my favorite Amazon blouse that I have in two colors.

Also, in the fall, I will wear sandals for as long as possible….which means I can often wear them into mid-October. I’m a sandals girl, for sure.

5. Do kids go back to school before or after Labor Day in your area?

Don’t even get me started about when we go back to school! We go back the second Wednesday in August, and truly, I just wish we’d go back even a week later. It’s just still so hot, and there’s plenty of pool and travel time left in August if we could get another week or two. Also, we never get out before Memorial Day…usually a few days after, so it just feels like, at best, we get eight weeks off…and of course I wish it was more!

When I was a kid, we basically went Labor Day to Memorial Day, and I wish that’s how it would be now too. Of course, back then, we didn’t get all the breaks we get now either.

6. When do you start to decorate for fall?

I usually decorate for fall whenever I get the chance in September. It’s usually mid-September when I pull out my fall bin and decorate. I do love to decorate in the fall because we get a few months out of the effort!

7. How do you get into the back to school routine?

We just rip the Band Aid off around here! Those alarms go off early and we just get moving after a couple of months of staying up late and sleeping in.

I do like getting back in the routine of meal planning and prep. And, as much as we drag our feet about going to school, the routine is good for us!

8. What are you most looking forward to this fall?

I just always love fall…candles, apple cider donuts, football, pretty leaves and more. Fall is truly my favorite season.

9. Do you decorate for fall?

I do! See #6 🙂

10. What feels like fall to you?

The cooler temps, pumpkin spice, and sweater weather!

I can’t wait for fall, y’all!