Hi everyone! I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend! It’s still hot in Boise but we’ve been having these lovely cool mornings that remind me that fall is right around the corner. We decided we’re going to take advantage of having our favorite summer meals a little bit longer which I’m totally ok with. We’ll have lots of time for soups and stews, but when it’s 85 in the evenings something lighter sounds much better.

This was our first week of school and even though we started on Tuesday because of Labor Day, we got through almost everything. I’m trying to remove some of the pressure of homeschooling. The truth is, homeschooling doesn’t (and shouldn’t) look like regular school anyway. It’s a part of our daily life and while that might not work for some families, it does for us. I love that I can do some of the readings with Augustine in the evenings, or over the weekend if we need/want to. And the beauty is that we can make changes if something isn’t working well for us. I’m looking forward to about a month in, which I think is when we’ll find our comfortable rhythm.

WHAT WE ATE

I plan to share the meals I made the previous week, with links if possible, as some inspiration for your own menu planning. 

MONDAY- Roasted Tomato Soup with Broiled Cheddar (this recipe was not good! When tomato soup is good it’s soo good but this one just tasted like tomato sauce) It was from this cookbook. Next time I’ll stick with our go-to tomato soup recipe.

TUESDAY- Chipotle Steak Taco Bowls– this recipe required a little bit of prep work but we all said it was delicious and I even printed out the recipe to store for the future.  The pepita scallion dressing was so good you could drink it!

WEDNESDAY- Halloumi Roast with Eggplant, Zucchini, and Tomatoes- This was so easy and delicious! Roasted Halloumi cheese with late summer produce and piled it onto a bowl of quinoa with a drizzle of balsamic.

THURSDAY- Crispy Shrimp and Broccoli with Rice and a Sesame Peanut Sauce – I ate this recipe cold because it took me awhile to put Beatrice down so it wasn’t my favorite. Another one from this cookbook which I haven’t been nearly as impressed with as this one.

FRIDAY- Beefsteak Skirt Steak Salad with Blue Cheese and Parsley Basil Vinaigrette- Matthew’s ideal meal: steak and salad!

SATURDAY- Burger Night with Salad and Fries- we love mixing our burger meat according to this recipe. It makes it so yummy!

SUNDAY- Grilled Chicken with Summer Squash Salad

For the first day of school, I made blueberry muffins which has become our little tradition the past few years. I made the Smitten Kitchen recipe which the kids really like. They’re not too sweet and there’s a little hint of lemon that’s just right.

I made a really delicious Honey Mama’s knock-off recipe. Matthew and I are doing a little health challenge this month but we’ve ok’d an occasional honey dessert. This one will be a repeat for sure because it satisfies that chocolate craving in a healthier way.

WHAT I WORE

Just a few weeks ago you wouldn’t have found me anywhere close to a pair of jeans, but with our much cooler mornings, I’ve been reaching for this pair of denim and this cardigan. It’s still getting quite warm in the afternoons and evenings so I’ll usually have a midday outfit change into a dress/shorts. This dress silhouette from Christy Dawn is one of my favorites (I have two different prints in the same cut). You can use my code 15MARA for a little discount!

SALES TO NOTE

Abercrombie– 20% off almost everything with YPB purchase

GAP– 30% off your purchase

Nordstrom– End of Summer Sale up to 60% off (lots of cute shoes – see below – but also this cozy FP sweater!)

American Eagle- 20% off off $50, 25% off $75, and 30% off $100 orders

GIGI PIP– Check out their Summer Sale and use code MARA15 for 15% off

ON MY MIND

Getting ready for our homeschool year has taken over every spare minute the past month at least so it’s strange actually to be starting. As I mentioned earlier, I can’t wait to get more into our routine but so far I’m pleased with our curriculum choice of The Good and the Beautiful Math with Ambleside. Ambleside has such a diverse booklist and I really feel like Augustine is getting access to beautiful thoughts and ideas that will hopefully inspire him in a fundamental way. From artists to composers to history, nature study, and literature, it’s truly a feast of riches and I feel lucky that I get to be learning alongside him.

I have been seeing all these cute Samba sneakers everywhere, which reminds me of a pair of black and white ones I had in high school. I came across this beige pair and now it’s high on my wishlist. I love the natural color and I feel like I would wear them a bunch.

I started taking my evening walks again the other night which has been so nice. I had to take a break out of busyness and challenging bedtime routines, but when I can sneak those in I feel so much lighter and calmer. Beatrice has been going through a little bit of a sleep regression at 10 1/2 months. She’s been waking up several times at night and while it’s been common for her to wake once or twice, usually she goes right down to sleep. Lately, however, she’s been waking up and then not going back to sleep as easily. Or I’ll put her down and she’ll be asleep but 7 minutes later she’ll be sitting up in her crib crying. Friday night she was up at 5 am for the day which Matthew and I joke is the normal (but not desired) wake time for babies, according to our first pediatrician. One thing that helps is looking at The Wonder Weeks app which does tell me that she’s in a leap right now (the Leap of Sequences). Reading about that leap reminds me that this too shall pass, and it allows me to be more patient and understanding with her during this period. These challenging times can feel so long and overwhelming sometimes, but it’s just for a short season and before you know it, they’ll be through it. I love how these younger years teach you so much about compassion, patience, and gentleness. Even though I feel utterly exhausted, I’m also cherishing these early years because they are fleeting.

And on that note, I’m going to bed! I hope you all had a lovely weekend and have a wonderful week ahead!

xox

garlic from our garden is strung in the pantry

Corinna was so cute borrowing my sunglasses the other day. A little big but so adorable! (one of my favorite pairs)

the prettiest farmers market flowers

I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend! It’s bittersweet as summer is drawing to a close but we’re all looking forward to getting into our fall routine. These next few weeks will be special though since my parents are coming to visit and then we’ll be celebrating A’s birthday! We had a few 100-degree days this past week but it’s going to drop into the 80s which will be a sweet relief! Apparently, Hurricane Hilary might bring some rain our way but praying all my friends and family in CA stay safe since it’s mainly headed that way.  Here’s a little update from our week:

WHAT WE ATE

I plan to share the meals I made the previous week, with links if possible, as some inspiration for your own menu planning.

MONDAY- Grilled Chicken with Panzanella Salad- tried and true! Enjoying all the ripe tomatoes and fresh basil right now.

TUESDAY- Asian Pork Meatballs

WEDNESDAY- Green Chile Verde Soup- SO good and will definitely be in the meal rotation. It’s from this cookbook but this version online is basically the same. This would be such a good dish to make for a new mom too!

THURSDAY- Shrimp with Carrot Ginger Coconut Sauce– we love this recipe because it’s so delicious and I love it even more because it’s beyond easy to put together.

FRIDAY- Toasted Ricotta Gnocchi with Pesto- this was so so good! It’s from this cookbook which has quickly become a favorite of ours! I found the recipe online here. Note: I used my own homemade basil pesto but I bet her pistachio pesto is so good!

SATURDAY- Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos- Another easy classic of ours! I realized how much I love a squeeze of lime on my tacos. I also added some pickled red onions which added such a nice contrast.

SUNDAY- Hot dogs and potato salad- Matthew gets back from a work trip today so we’re planning something really simple.

I made a brown sugar simple syrup that has been so yummy with my iced coffees! To make it. you want to bring 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water to a slow boil for 2-3 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tsp vanilla extract. Transfer to a jar and keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Matthew made the best egg sandwiches earlier this week. The tip is to get really good English muffins (ours was from a local bakery but I want to try my hand at making them!) and add a fried egg, smashed avocado, and cheese. I would have added arugula if we had it and maybe an aioli but it was delicious as is!

WHAT I WORE

I got a haircut this week which was so needed! I decided to add some curtain bangs because I needed a little change without doing something drastic. My hair is up so much because of the baby so I feel like the curtain bangs add a little something to my face.

My friends and I were joking the other day about how we haven’t worn jeans for the past 3 months and it’s seriously true! I don’t know how some girls wear jeans during the summer, but I absolutely can not! I’m looking forward to wearing them again come fall though. My uniform these days has been a black top (perfect to hide baby food stains) and a pair of shorts. It’s just easy and I like that I don’t have to think about it too much. One day, maybe soon, I’ll get back to putting a little more thought into my outfits. For now, this works!

SALES TO NOTE

GAP– 60% off Last Chance Deals plus 30% off your purchase! Back to School/Life shopping starts now!

LOFT– 25% off full-price items and an additional 20% off orders of $125+. If you work in an office, they have such stylish business casual pieces.

Anthropologie– Up to 40% off Furniture and Decor

Shopbop– Upgrade your top shelf with 15% off Beauty. Use code BEAUTY15

ON MY MIND

Matthew has been on a work trip and leaves for another one this week. We all miss him so much when he’s gone, me especially. I’m so thankful for all his help when he’s home and we definitely feel a little lost without him here. Augustine said the sweetest thing the other night. He said, “My heart feels like it could break because I miss Daddy so much.” Isn’t that beyond precious?! I don’t even think he knows the term heartbreak but he just said it in such a sweet and genuine way.

My parents are coming to town next weekend which will be so wonderful! I’m already brainstorming meals to make and things to do. It will be our last week of summer vacation before starting school so we’ll be living it up!

Have a great week, friends!

xox

I hope you all are enjoying your weekend! We celebrated a friend’s birthday yesterday and today we’re going to church and then a family bike ride before a celebratory end of school dinner and ice cream. We’ve been continuing with a loose school schedule through the summer but I want to make sure we take the time to celebrate some of A and C’s big achievements – Augustine finished Good and the Beautiful Level 1 Math and Corinna finished her Kindergarten Prep. I’m so proud of those two. We’re all looking forward to a little break from lessons before we start up again in September.

WHAT WE ATE

I plan to share the meals I made the previous week, with links if possible, as some inspiration for your own menu planning.

MONDAY- Corn Chowder with Chile, Lime, and Cotija– so delicious and felt perfect on the night of a surprise summer storm. We’ve been loving the leftovers all week.

TUESDAY- Beets and Greens Phyllo Pie- I’ve had this package of phyllo dough sitting in my freezer for the last several months so I was so happy to find this recipe in a favorite cookbook. The combination of beets with feta and brie cheese in a crispy phyllo crust was so yummy!

WEDNESDAY- Spicy Stir Fried Pork with Green Beans and Tomatoes – also from this cookbook, although if you have an NYT acct I saw it here. This dish came together incredibly fast which makes me think it will definitely be a repeat! Plus, the flavor was so good and reminded us of a delicious takeout meal.

THURSDAY- Gourmet Hot Dog Bar with Oven Roasted BBQ Potato Salad and Watermelon – we had friends over and this was a great, easy summer dinner! The potato salad is so good and different because the potatoes are roasted so they hold their crunch without being mushy.

FRIDAY- Meatloaf and leftover potato salad- another repeat of ours because the kids will eat it all up!

SATURDAY- an easy pantry pasta for the kids and then a late night date night sushi for me and Matthew

SUNDAY- Grilled Fish Sandwiches with tomato, avocado and tartar sauce

That granola bowl above has become my favorite mid-morning snack. Strauss yogurt + pecan granola + raspberries and nectarine + local honey and bee pollen

My neighbor made the most delicious almond flour chocolate chip cookies for us the other day and she used the Guittard Extra Dark Chocolate baking chips…wow so so good!

SALES TO NOTE

American Eagle– 30% off all Jeggings and Slim Jeans + 25% off all Jeans

Ann Taylor– 30% off your full-price purchase

ON MY MIND

I’m getting my hair cut this week and I’m so looking forward to it! My thoughts right now are that I’m going to get bangs again, but I’m also a little worried that maybe my post-partum hair growth might make them look odd. So we’ll see what happens there. I haven’t been in over a year so it will be nice to just sit in a chair for a few hours and read a book/listen to a podcast.

Last week we had a few days that felt like fall (including that random storm day). It made me realize I’m so not ready to say goodbye to summer. This upcoming week we’re supposed to have a few 100-degree days so I’m hoping to take the kids to the splash pad at the park (finally!)

This week is going to bring some change too. My mother-in-law who has been living with us this past year will be back after being gone for the past 6 weeks, and then Matthew will be heading out of town for work. We’re going to miss him so much since it will be the longest time he’s been gone for at least the past 3 years. I know the kids will be happy to have some grandma time, though, so that will provide a little distraction.

Our chickens are now all laying! I didn’t mention this little project of ours that kept us busy this spring, but we raised chicks. It was actually a lot more work than we expected but it was a light during the end of winter bleekness and something we’ve wanted to do for a long time. The eggs have been so cute and tiny but are starting to get a little bigger.

I’ve been keeping up with my elliptical workouts which has been so good for me. I’m using that time to watch bits of a show and even though it takes multiple workout sessions to get through an episode, it’s just the motivation I need! When Downton Abbey came out Matthew and I loved it so much but for whatever reason (maybe we weren’t able to stream it?) we stopped watching after Season 2. Over the years we’ve heard some of the big spoilers so I didn’t feel as big of a desire to start watching it again, even if we could have. Just recently, though, I noticed that all the seasons were available for free on Amazon Prime Video so I picked up again where we left off. I am so happy I did because, even with some of the spoilers spoiled, it’s still so enjoyable!

Have a great week!!

xox