If you’re a new reader, the Monthly Edit is a brain dump of everything I consumed (or consumed me) during the month. This newsletter is filled with recommendations and reflections that I hope will add value to your life.
Last month, I shared our plans for our short summer break, and in this month’s report, I’m lamenting the fact that we only have a couple of weeks left. Where does the time go? If your kids are on a (modified) year-round schedule, please give me tips for how to cope with our shrinking summers.
Television
I watched the first several episodes of We Were Liars on Prime Video and I’m enjoying the soundtrack and acting so far! It’s always fun to compare book to tv series adaptations to see what changes the directors make. I’m such a sucker for a teen drama!
Season 4 of The Bear premiered on Hulu last week, and my husband and I immediately locked in.
Movies
The beginning of Mickey 17. I don’t know why I assumed this was a war movie, but it’s sci-fi and it’s out there. I enjoy dark comedy but it was a bit much for me. I fell asleep.
Elio, which weirdly reminded me of Mickey 17 when he’s cloned. The animation was incredible, but I didn’t relate as much to the storyline as other Pixar films. The movie didn’t even include Such Great Heights by the Postal Service, which felt like a total bait and switch for Millennial Parents who were sucked into the teaser trailer. My kids loved it, and that’s all that matters.
Kids’ movies I watched/listened to in the background while doing other things: Snow White, The Minecraft Movie, Descendants, How to Train Your Dragon (animated), and Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
I finished our library system’s summer reading challenge, but I have lots of catching up to do with the kids. As I mentioned in last month’s roundup, they’re using Beanstack, a web and mobile app platform used by libraries and schools to promote reading and engagement through challenges and activities. It allows users to track their reading, earn digital badges, and participate in reading programs, with opportunities for prizes at the end of the summer! I’m still working to put together a newsletter with our picture book selections for June and this month’s book mail. I hope to be able to share that with you soon!
A week at the beach meant chasing the surf music vibes. Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys passed while we were on our trip, so we spent one morning at the beach playing their best hits from a little waterproof Bluetooth speaker.
I love garage rock/surf punk and always feel the pull towards the genre when it’s hot outside. This month I’ve listened to lots of Wavves, Best Coast, Cloud Nothings, Jenny Lewis, Surfer Blood, Dehd, Tame Impala, and the like.
My kids are obsessed with the song Run It by Jelly Roll from Sonic the Hedgehog 3. They ask me to play it on repeat in the car!
Our garden is in full bloom this month! We’ve been enjoying tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, basil, and parsley from the potted plants on our front porch. My daughter loves to pick the cherry tomatoes to snack on. We shared some of the jalapenos with my mom, who makes pico de gallo almost weekly! She has it down to a science. I swear it’s tastier than what we get when we eat out.
So far, summer has been filled with indoor reprieve from the heat at the library. My kids have been to story time and STEM Day and had plenty of time to browse the stacks, create with Legos, and learn through computer games. We’ve also spent lots of time at our neighborhood pool, at tennis camp with friends, packing bags, and cleaning up around the house.
We celebrated my husband and son’s birthdays with steak on the grill and a Minecraft cake from Publix. My mom and younger sister made a wedge salad to go with it so it felt like a real steakhouse dinner… at home! The next day, we celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary with friends at a local Mexican restaurant for parents’ night out. It wasn’t the most traditional way to celebrate our marriage, but at this point in our parenting journey, I’m not picky about what our “alone” time looks like.
A mini guide to Myrtle Beach
Stop at Riverbanks Zoo on the way to the beach to get the most out of our annual family membership. Since we already paid for the membership last Fall, it was “free” and helped us kill some time before we were able to check in after 4 p.m.
Pick out snacks at Buc-ees in Florence before starting the last leg of the trip. My favorite thing to grab is a brisket sandwich and the fudge sampler to save for dessert at our condo during the week.
Apply copious amounts of sunscreen, wear a bucket hat and a UPF50 shirt so you can spend the first half of every day jumping in the waves and floating around the pool and lazy river. Make sure to grab an ice cream cone from the ice cream truck before heading back inside for showers and making sandwiches for lunch.
Grab appetizers at Joe’s Crab Shack in Broadway at the Beach, fill up a take out container full of gummy candy at It’Sugar, and stuff your own Toothless at Build-A-Bear.
Have a parents-only dinner at Jerusalem and order the platter for two while the teens in your group babysit the younger kids for a couple of hours.
Go shopping at the Tanger Outlets for tennis shoes, dresses, and a new Vera Bradley crossbody bag.
Go to the Lowe’s Food Store, Publix, and Food Lion way too many times for berries and groceries for breakfast and dinner.
Play a game of mini golf at Mt. Atlanticus and then have lunch at Tidal Creek Brewhouse before letting your kids run free at the most incredible playground, Savannah’s Playground in the Market Common.
My younger sister moved to San Diego last weekend, and for the past few weeks in the lead up to her move, I’ve been feeling deeply emotional. I’m talking boo-hooing in the Chick-fil-A drive-through on the way to work level of emotional. I’m thrilled for her to chase her dreams, follow her heart, and start a new adventure out West, but I’m still grieving the loss of frequent in-person connection. She’s worried about leaving us behind, but we’re worried about her getting settled and starting from scratch in an unfamiliar place. While my kids think we can hop on a plane and join her at Disneyland with the swish of a wand, unfortunately, it’s not economical. I’m looking forward to seeing her in a few months when she comes back home for a wedding and coming up with creative ways to stay connected in the meantime. I’d like to find a show we can watch together or read the same book at the same time. I’m planning to send lots more voice memos and maybe create a shared playlist to add songs that make me think of her in the moment. I’ve also seen where readers annotate a book and then send it off for their friend to read with all their thoughts! If you have family that lives far away, what are some digital rituals you have to stay connected? I’d love your advice for getting through this quiet shift in my personal life.
If that wasn’t enough for one weekend, we also dropped my 6-year-old off at her first out-of-town sleep-away camp for Girl Scouts. I was so nervous she’d be homesick while she was gone. We had family write letters for her that the counselors gave her throughout her (half) week. I stuck some stickers in a few just for fun.
🪞Faith’s article we were never going to look seventeen forever resonated with me, especially this quote:
I’m homesick for a feeling I’ve never actually experienced: the feeling of looking in the mirror and thinking, yes, this is right. I keep waiting for that moment of satisfaction, not realizing that I’ve been waiting for it my entire life. That maybe the problem isn’t how I look, but how I look at myself.
👚On a similar note, Jill’s post No. 139: The Momiform is Here. Your Foolproof Style Guide for Late Spring/Early Summer gave me some much-needed inspiration. I’m drawn to classic looks with interesting architectural details. Those unexpected details that keep an otherwise basic outfit from looking boring.
🐞I’ve read countless summer reading guides already, but Christy’s list of Books on Motherhood, Womanhood + Friendship is Worth Mentioning. I just love the cover for In the Family Way by Laney Katz Becker.
🌈Who doesn’t need a little more color in their life? Move over, beige. The Secret to Microdosing Color is Easier Than You Think.
What was the best part of your month?
Elsewhere on the Internet: Goodreads / Storygraph / Pinterest
If you enjoyed this post and want to see more monthly edits, here are some ways you can support this newsletter:
👍 Comment and like this post here on Substack!
☕ Consider buying me a coffee or upgrading to a paid subscription.
📲 Restack your favorite part and share it as a Note on Substack.
📧 Forward this email to a friend (if you're the friend, subscribe here)
📸 Catch me on IG @overbookedmama
Thank you so much for the mention!! Such a fun roundup of recs. Grateful to be in the Substack motherhood community with you! ✨
Livin’ the good life!!! 🤠💕Garden sounds bountiful! Summer reading challenge— check! Love all these updates.