Life Lately: 2023 Summer Reflections

Summer ends this weekend and boy, was this one this year one for the books. It was very hot and it felt longer than usual.

And while I love warmer weather, I will never not look forward to the first day of autumn and all that it brings.

Crunchy leaves, cooler weather, the softness of a cashmere sweater, the small warmth of a candle in your favorite scent…pure perfection.

Even though my blog is intended to be a resource to help others, there’s always an underlying and personal intention I have with it: the capture my thoughts and memories.

And before I welcome fall, I want to share some 2023 summer reflections.

THIS SUMMER, I…

WATCHED

Over the summer, I watched an old mini-series called, Lonesome Dove. It was SO good that I thought about it for weeks afterward. Older shows will always have my heart. They are so wholesome with no “agenda” — just good storytelling.

While I made a good dent in the series, I still haven’t been able to find a streaming service to keep watching Midsomer Murders. I mean, what’s summer without Midsomer, right?

Currently, I’m working my way through Longmire. It was a great show to end the summer and begin fall with; I just started on the last season this week. Let me tell you, I’m shocked at how good this show is…from the acting to the storylines, it reminds me a lot of Midsomer Murders, but in a Wyoming-cowboy style! I’ll be honest, I will be utterly sad when I finish it.

Naturally, I always resort to reruns like The Mummy (1 and 2 – Brendan Fraser is my fave!), The Simpsons (early seasons only), Frasier, and Avatar the Last Airbender. Did you know that rewatching the same things is a way to comfort yourself?

READ

I didn’t read a ton of books this summer, more so listened to messages from various churches. My goal was to get to know God more and I feel like I accomplished it!

However, I did get new books to read this fall: The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication by John C Maxwell, Chazown by Craig Groeschel, Chameleon by Remi Adeleke, Moving Mountains by John Eldredge, and one more book for my small group!

PLAYING

I haven’t done crosswords in quite some time, but to keep my mind sharp, I’m still playing a water-sorting game on my phone app.

EATING/DRINKING

I’ve been enjoying tons of Vietnamese food, grilled veggies, and salads. It was way too hot to be eating anything else, but salads to be honest.

I’ve also drinking Revitalize, coffee infused with collagen, liquid collagen, and taking Ova (which supports my hormones without the use of hormones). If you’re interested, these links saves you $10!

WEARING

I’ve been wearing my AG skinny jeans, plain t-shirts, and my black and white APL sneakers on constant repeat all summer. My summer uniform hardly changed, ha!

BUYING

Remember when I purged my beauty drawers before I moved? I’ve been slowly replenishing my makeup and skincare bags. I’ve added Patrick Ta, Elevate Beauty, some Merit, Lawless, Salt & Stone, Summer Fridays (it’s been years since I’ve made a beauty purchase from them), and Biologique Recherche.

I also splurged on some luxury purchases that I’ll keep to myself.

LISTENING

Per usual, I’ve been listening to Lords of Corruption on repeat as I’m working Fashion Month. The Spillover, The ItFactor Show, Huberman Lab, Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast, School of Greatness, and instrumental hymns have been my go-tos.

I plan on starting on Blurry Creatures this fall since I heard it was SO good!

PLANNING

I’ve been thinking about whether I want to live in an apartment one last time before I own a home or just stay with a family friend and save for a home. With my move-in date pushing further and further out, I may just go for a home at this point.

I’m just waiting to hear from God and what He thinks. It’s important to me to have peace of mind before making such a huge purchase and life-changing decision.

LOOKING FOR

A sense of routine. Ever since my early summer move, I still feel uprooted. It’s been hard for me to feel 100% in my groove/zone.

LOOKING FORWARD TO

My friend Nat coming down from Chicago for a business conference this weekend!

I also cannot wait for some good fall weather because I miss slowing down, my hoodies (which are packed away), and going for walks without melting. Another thing I’m looking forward to is my besties and I meeting up on my birthday weekend this year!

On a more serious note, I’m looking forward to finally finishing the course I enrolled in over the summer. Can’t wait to tell you all about it soon!

LOVING

Hands down, Jimmy Darts‘ page on Instagram is giving me life. If you ever feel down, go to his page. You will always, and I mean, ALWAYS have hope in humanity again! 

All summer, I’ve been enjoying the stories he shares about others. They give me an even deeper appreciation for my blessings and I’ve been practicing gratitude for over a decade. What’s been even more enjoyable is being able to give to these fundraisers he does for these wonderful people!

I’ve also been loving having my nails done. In the past, I struggled with this type of pampering. However, I’ve learned to embrace it. Now that I’ve found my dream manicurist, I’m constantly looking for fun (and neutral) mani ideas!

THINKING ABOUT

My future self…who she is, how deep her relationships are (especially with God), her honed-in personal style, stronger mindset, and success portfolio.

HATING

I hate seeing comments from people looking to intentionally hate. I absolutely detest when someone puts someone else down and then you go to their page and see them have some kind of quote saying to be kind in their bio. It’s hypocritical and absolutely annoying.

SLACKING ON

Sleep. I’ve been working at least 60 hours each week for the last several weeks.

STRUGGLING WITH

Ask anyone who knows me. I struggle with taking breaks.  While I am getting better, I still have a hard time getting up and taking intentional breaks.

As I grow older, my childhood summers stand out more and more. Summers as an adult feel short and less memorable. Maybe it’s because we have more responsibilities. Or maybe it’s the fact that we care more about staying cool than playing outside with our friends like we did when we were kids, ha!

Summers are what I want to be frozen in time…to hang on to all the good, carefree memories.

And I hope this article captures just that: a summer never to be forgotten.

What are some of your favorite summer reflections?