This was the longest (yet shortest) summer ever. Our families have been all over the map in these last couple months and both of us are new Elementary school families starting next week! (OMG…)

So, we’re keeping it light with the things we loved this summer and what we’re using to get ready for the fall.

Mary’s Loves

Our son A starts kindergarten in a week! Call me crazy, but I’ve been hunting for a backpack all summer. When searching for a good one, a few things to keep in mind (from an OT):

• Find a bag that has well-padded shoulder straps as the shoulders and neck have many blood vessels and nerves that can cause pain and tingling in the neck, arms, and hands if too much pressure is applied
• The straps should be adjustable, so the pack fits snugly on your child’s back and doesn’t pull them backwards or strain their muscles
• The bottom of the bag should rest in the curve of the lower back, not resting more than 4 inches below your kid’s waistline
• Bonus if the pack has chest and/or waist belts as they help distribute the weight more evenly

We went with the JanSport Double Break Backpack. It’s light weight, has a lot of pockets to help organize his school supplies, and has a lifetime warranty (in case it ever rips due to wear and tear).

A has also been doing lessons with Khan Academy Kids. It’s a free app free that provides simple and engaging educational content including math, language arts, and social-emotional learning. Your child earns rewards after completing 3 lessons and you can track their progress in each area.

As for the girls, they have been all about learning new words, frequently pointing and asking, “What’s this? “over and over again.  We’ve given them My World: A hand-drawn book with 350 words to learn, things to count, lots to find and My First Touch and Feel Picture Cards: First Words to help boost their vocab.

For me, I’ve been doing quick workouts on a free fitness app called FitOn. I’m also going on a Winky Lux binge. I love their pH lip balm and pH lip gloss, and currently experimenting with their facial oil and retinol-alternative serum.

Patti’s Loves

A&Z celebrated their 4^th birthday this past weekend. But as parents, that meant we had to do a huge house deep clean before family arrived. We took it room by room, and finished a few projects that we had procrastinated up until now. Two of my favorite additions are the new bird and hummingbird feeders in our backyard. We also planted wildflowers in all of our porch containers now that our summer vegetables are done for the season.

In an effort to keep things low-key for this birthday, we took the girls to the Original #Selfie Museum. They have two locations in Atlanta. My girls are terrible at taking direction; seriously the worst models ever. But I came away with some pretty awesome shots and they enjoyed playing around with all the sets before going to Revolving Sushi Factory for lunch.

Thanks to my public library, I was able to power through the entire Bridgerton series this summer. Currently reading: Briefly, A Delicious Life. TBR: Her Body and Other Parties and But You’re Still So Young: How Thirtysomethings Are Redefining Adulthood. The girls are rotating through Vampirina Ballerina and Charlotte the Scientist.

Since my birthday is this month, I do an annual August Sephora haul. You guys keep asking about my skincare routine, so I’m finally sharing… (JK, no one ever asks. I just think it’s hilarious that every influencer starts off saying it.)
Farmacy Green Clean Meltaway Cleansing Balm
Farmacy Honeymoon Glow
The Ordinary Buffet (I usually get the small one, but this one is huge)
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair UV SPF Moisturizer
I also love anything from Caudalie and Innisfree, including their sheet masks.

Next week, we are starting our next Course Notes series on the auditory system so stay tuned for new content on the blog and IG/TikTok.

For everyone up North, we hope you enjoy the last couple weeks of summer. For everyone down in our neighborhood, watch out for the back-to-school traffic next week 🙂

Mary & Patti

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