Posted in Everyday Life, Monthly Moments

Monthly Moments: July 2026

Hello and happy Friday!

Well, it’s my last official Friday of summer break. How did we get here so soon?

I will say that after a lengthy school year and a busy June, July did provide some reprieve which I appreciate.

Today, I’m recapping some of our favorite moments in July.

The kids had pool time and cousin time in July. They were able to hang out with their out of town cousins a couple different times this month.

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays, and we had a good one. We spent it with some pool time, grilling out, and then watching fireworks to cap off our night.

Of course we celebrated Trav’s birthday. We went out to dinner, and then my brother and his family came over for ice cream cake.

We enjoyed some beautiful sunsets in July.

We also tackled some home updates. I purchased a new rug for under the kitchen table as well as some new dishes…all from Walmart.

While the dishes weren’t on my initial summer “to do” list, I couldn’t resist the cuteness…or the price.

We also got new bar stools from World Market, and they are perfect.

We’ve been enjoying fresh fruit this month. Is there anything better? Peaches, watermelon and cantaloupe are our faves.

Slow mornings have been the best part of my summer. I’ve enjoyed easy breakfasts and coffee most mornings.

Iced coffee is a fave in the summer. Most of the time, I have coffee at home, but sometimes I treat myself to a Dunkin coffee.

While it’s hard to “face the music” in regards to the reality of summer break ending, at least back to school haircuts and cute school supplies help.

I will look back on the month of July as one of my favorite months of reading to date. I read so many great books, and I appreciated having the time to read.

While I did spend a lot of time reading, I also watched some great movies. As a family, we went and saw The Odyssey, and we all loved it. I also read People We Meet on Vacation, and I thought the movie was great too.

Hayden has had a lot of fun coaching a 5th grade basketball team this summer, and I made it to a few of the games.

Fresh flowers are one of my favorite parts of spring and summer. That being said, late July is when the limelights bloom in our yard, and I love snipping a few for the coffee table centerpiece.

Of course, we had pool and lake time too. Hadley went to the lake with friends a couple of weeks ago. I went to the pool quite a bit this summer, and the past two days have been lovely with no humidity.

Wednesday night, the kids went to the UK Alumni game; they played KU alumni, and they had a great time. I know it’s been quite a few months since they’ve gotten their licenses, but it’s still crazy to me the things they do independently. Both kids and a friend drove, went out to dinner before the game, parked, watched the game and got themselves home. This still blows my mind. haha

Anyway, Hayden was extra happy because they sat near some former and current players, and he got some autographs.

I really should be thinking more about school, but I’m going to enjoy the couple days I have left before reality really hits.

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts this week in case you missed one:

I hope you have a lovely summer weekend.

Posted in Inspiration

Hello, July!

Hello and happy July 1st!

This year, I’ve been sharing these “reminders” to kick off each month, and since today’s July 1st, I have a couple new reminders for you…

  • You don’t have to rush – I hope this month goes as slowly as possible.
  • Stay hydrated – With this heat wave going on, that’s more important than ever!
  • Take time to rest and reset – That’s what I’ve been doing this week after being out of town last week. It’s been nice to not set an alarm, and I’ve been at home, but I’ve been productive.
  • 6 months left in the year – I had a difficult “second quarter” of 2026, and I’m certainly hoping the last half of the year is good to me.
  • Make time for little joys – I’m embracing some down time with my iced coffee, catching up on some shows, reading my Kindle, and enjoying meals at home.

Another great reminder:

We always have a few things to celebrate in July – America, Trav, my Gma, my sister-in-law, and my mother-in-law all have July birthdays!

Posted in Everyday Life, Friday Favorites, Monthly Moments

Friday Favorites {#269}: Monthly Moments July 2025

Hello and happy Friday!…and happy August 1st. I’m not trying to be negative, but I think August is my least favorite month, but it also does mean a fresh start and routine once school starts, and I do like both of those things.

How was your week? I made the most of my last full week of summer…I spent some time finishing getting my classroom in order, went to Pilates, went to the pool, read, went to a movie and more!

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites...

….to share a look back on July.

July 1st, Hadley went to Young Life camp in Michigan with lots of her friends.

Hayden and other family members ran the Bluegrass 10k on the 4th of July.

I stayed in one spot to cheer them on!

Our nephew won the race.

We wrapped up the 4th by going to our favorite spot to watch fireworks.

I got lots of pool time in July…which meant I had time to chat with my friends, float in the pool or read.

We celebrated Trav’s birthday when Hadley got back from camp. We got him a few gifts, went out to dinner, and had some Crumbl cookies to celebrate.

As I’ve shared a few times (sorry to be repetitive!), Trav and I went Lake Michigan to celebrate our 20th anniversary that was in June. We made do with what time allowed for us to get away for a few days, but honestly, it was still such a perfect vacation. It was nice being able to drive a few hours to a couple of beautiful towns, and the weather was great with low humidity.

I recapped our two days in South Haven in this post.

We stayed at a bed and breakfast right by the beach, and it was lovely.

We also spent two days in Saugatuck, and I shared all about our time there in two posts. (post one, post two). We stayed at a boutique hotel, spent time in town, got a massage, ate a few delicious meals, and went to the beach.

A couple of weeks ago, we went to Louisville for our nephew’s wedding. They got married on a Friday with a dinner to follow and then a bigger reception on Saturday. It was a great couple of days with family.

In July, both of the kids’ sports started. Hayden’s been going to 6am practices the past couple of weeks, and Hadley’s been busy with volleyball. Her first tournament is this weekend.

I also spent the last couple of weeks at school off and on setting up my new classroom. I’ve worked in my room over ten hours, and Hadley has been such a big help.

Just yesterday, we finished the final bulletin board, and now I actually need to start thinking about actual school stuff like curriculum and syllabi! haha

Overall, July was a good month with lots of summer and family fun.

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week:

I hope you have a great summer weekend!