Summers Almost Gone
a no news, August newsletter
Morning found us calmly unaware
Noon burn gold into our hair
At night we swim the laughing sea
When summers gone
Where will we be?
Jim Morrison
If I had my way, we would just be done with summer by now and fully into the cooler days of fall. I know everyone reading this is probably just as fed up with this ongoing heat wave we have had these past few months. But every single year, August 1st rolls around, and I am always ready to pull out the fall decor and start making soups and stews and baking all of the comfort things. I will restrain myself and wait until September 1, but I may or may not already have all of my fall scents diffusing in the house –Â
I almost didn’t send out any newsletter for August. I wanted to send the first Sunday of the month (which is what the next monthly will be.. *trying to get on an actual schedule with this*) but I have been preoccupied with my health and the kids and home and just felt like this was one of those things that could wait. I needed to just be focused on things that were of higher priority for this season of life. Which automatically made me feel guilty. I love this space and my main website. I have been cultivating my main website for many years now, and finally have *almost* completed it with all of the topics and pages I want to include. Substack is still new, and as I stated in the July newsletter, I am still trying to figure out exactly how often I want to post here. The monthly newsletter will be the primary publication here – for now.
And a quick thank you to all of you who have joined in over this past month – I promise a lot more to come, so I do apologize that you have to bear with my inconsistency just a little longer.
What I am Loving
A brief list of things I have been loving these past 8-weeks
PSA:: a few affiliate links are included below – a very appreciative thank you if you choose to purchase anything through these linksÂ
Consignment shops for extra cashÂ
As I have been cleaning out around here, I have been enjoying making some money back on all of these bags and bins of clothing that are clogging up storage space! We have a few good local ones, but for the things they didn’t take – (if you are not familiar with consignment, they don’t always take all of your items, even if they are in really good condition). So for the ones, that I still have that are worth some cash, I am using Thred-Up. I have used them for years, it is such an easy process, they send you a bag, you fill it up, and the post office picks it up from your door (I am all for convenience, where I don’t have to lug more boxes around with kids in tow). As things sell, you will get money added to your account which you can cash out or you can use on items in their shop. If you looking for some top name-brands at a huge discount, you will absolutely love this place! You can check it out here and if you use this link you can get 45% off your first order plus free shipping – thank me later =)
Top Quality Supplements – that you actually feel a difference on
I have tried many supplements over the years and finally took the plunge to try the liquid multivitamin from Mary Ruth Organics. We had been using other supplements from this brand (like C, D, etc.) but I never tried the liquid. Since we had liked everything else we tried, and my cousin was telling me she enjoyed the multi, I decided it was time to give it a go. *And* I am so glad I did. It is the first time, ever that I have felt a difference taking a multivitamin. Below I am linking the products we are currently using from this company in case you want to give them a try too!Â
Multi-Vitamin (adults, kids can use too, but mine are not amused with the thought of a liquid one… yet…)
Kids are using the Organic Kids Multi-Vitamin Gummies as well as the Immunity Beans
And because back to school is around the corner, we are also using the Adult Immunity Beans for the next few weeks, and will probably keep it up November through January, since that always seems to be our worst time for sickness. They also have another Immunity blend that contains elderberry and echinacea which I plan to keep around for the colder months and use when we are run down.
On the list to get for the next stock up: Stress Less Beans (for kids and adults) and Liquid Collegan (for me), other version of immunity gummies
You can purchase Mary Ruth with the links above if you use Amazon or can order directly through the Mary Ruth Organics website. Linking the website here if you want to learn more about the company and other products. p.s. – if you shop with this link on their main website, you will also get $15.00 off of your order =)
Note:: I will write a follow-up about these supplements sometime in the late fall to see if they made any difference in regard to sicknesses accrued during this school year
All the Aromatherapy
I have been addicted to essential oils since like 2008, I love keeping the oils around for diffusers, cleaning, and our bedtime routines. Currently loving Eden’s Garden Fall Blend called Coffee Crumb Cake ++ adding in orange and vanilla – it smells just like my favorite cozy stove top potpourri I make, but easier!
Books for Kids
We love going to the library, but I also like to add to our at-home library when we find something that we REALLY love. This summer we started to read The Great Mouse Detective book series. It is so cute and a perfect before-bedtime story that we all truly enjoy.
Time-Period Dramas
Catching up on some time-period dramas that I pushed to the side while I was working. Kind of glad I did, because they have been a perfect zone out for the evenings after the kids go to sleep. I just finished up Marie Antoinette on PBS Masterpiece and am now about halfway through The Serpent Queen on Starz. I am actually enjoying The Serpent Queen way more than I thought I would! Also, really enjoy the Marie Antoinette soundtrack for some relaxing tunes while reading or writing.
What’s Next
On Substack
I am really excited about a guest post I have coming out at the end of this month with the
If you do not follow already, I recommend you check her page out if you are interested in holistic nutrition and traditional diets. I first learned about traditional diets in 2013, when I read the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. I always recommend this book to anyone looking to improve their wellness. Anyways, if this is of interest to you, please check out the Holistic Homemaker – and stay tuned for my post about realistic ways to nourish ourselves as mothers, as we all get ready for back-to-school chaos!ÂOn the Website
I will have a few recipe round-ups coming soon on the blog that will help to give you some ideas for back-to-school snacks, breakfasts, and dinners. I feel like we are always scrambling those first couple of weeks of school and meals can sometimes be the trickier thing to get organized (especially if you have multiple picky eaters) so I hope these will help! I will send an email once these are up and published.
A revised blog post of a favorite end-of-summer recipe
Blueberry-Apple Crumble
Remember you can also follow along on Pinterest, that is where I will post any recent blog posts, before sharing here on Substack. Currently pinning all of the fall inspo I can find —
Love the poem!