Hello sweet friends and thanks for stopping by!
It’s the first Saturday of August and time for our monthly rewind!
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We’ll share a glimpse into our personal lives, a recap of the month’s posts, some of our favorite online finds, an organization challenge, and inspiration from some of our favorite bloggers.
As the summer heat blazed, July brought a whirlwind of activity, travel, and many memorable moments.
Let’s look at the stories that made this month one to remember.
WHAT WE DID BEHIND THE SCENES IN July
July was all about family, friends, and fun, with a little bit of work thrown in!!
Celebrated the 4th of July
This was the view from our front yard on the 4th of July!
We grabbed chairs, snacks, and sparklers and set up on the driveway for a spectacular fireworks viewing!
Ya’ll, people in Florida love to set off fireworks!
Every year we are in awe because we can see them filling the sky in every direction!
Attended the Haven Blog Conference
July brought summer travel and our first destination was Atlanta, Georgia for the Haven Blog Conference.
This conference is the premier place for bloggers to gain inspiration, education, and networking opportunities.
We learned so much but the best part was spending time with fellow bloggers!
Let me introduce you to DeeDee from My Resort Report and Kim from Perfecting Places!
Here I am with KarriAnne from Thistlewood Farms!
She was my first blogging mentor and the main reason our blog is successful!
I’m so thankful for her and her willingness to help others!
When our classes were finished, we hopped in the SUV and headed to Kentucky!
Family Vacation in Kentucky
First, we went to my Dad’s house.
Our middle son traveled with us, our youngest flew in from New York, and our oldest lives with my dad so it was great to have all three boys under one roof!
We had a wonderful visit and also spent time with friends!
Unfortunately, I did not take one picture while we were there!
The next stop was western Kentucky to visit with Rich’s family.
We stayed in this cute cabin,
cuddled with this adorable sweet kitten,
and enjoyed quality family time together!
More Family Fun in Florida
We headed back to Florida and brought our youngest son along!
The days of him spending the whole summer with us are over but we got to enjoy his company for 10 days!
One night, we went to Disney Springs for dinner, shopping, and for him to see the new drone show.
Unfortunately, the show was canceled because of rain (but that gave us an excuse to go again on a different night).
However, we had a yummy dinner at Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante.
It was our first time dining there and we enjoyed the atmosphere, food, and service but thought it was overpriced.
Our theme park day was spent at Magic Kingdom because both boys wanted to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure!
During the summer, Rich and I rarely spend a whole day in the parks because it’s so hot but we managed to stay through the fireworks!
The things we do for our kids, lol!!!
If you’re new here, our youngest son is an avid bird watcher and loves to spend time in nature.
We didn’t see many birds but here are some interesting things we did spot on our walks.
Did you notice the small alligator’s head sticking out of the water in the bottom right corner? He swam over to check out the floating flower!
And here’s something I’m never happy to see…
a snake!
This dragonfly was huge!
We had so much fun but now he’s back in New York at Stony Brook University preparing for the second year of his PhD program.
I don’t want time to move faster but I’m looking forward to Christmas when we’ll all be together again!!
WHAT WE DID ON THE BLOG DURING July
As you can see below we only posted once a week in July since we were so busy traveling and prioritizing family time!
Here’s your chance to catch up if you missed any posts!
Home Organization
- Easy steps to declutter and organize your makeup.
- Our best tips to organize under the bathroom sink.
DIY
- DIY concrete bowl made from Dollar Tree items.
- Decoupage shells to make beautiful trinket dishes.
INSPIRATION FROM AROUND THE WEB
Here are some posts we found inspiring and thought you would enjoy!
- I still can’t wrap my mind around the fact that July is over! Here’s a fun post about the best things to do in August!
- We sold our camper and I really miss camping! This enchanting campsite is so adorable that I want to buy a tent!
- If you have a daughter going to college check out these dorm room color ideas!
- Speaking of college, if you’ll be moving your child here’s a post to help you prepare for a stress-free college move-in day!
- It’s time to start thinking about decorating for Autumn and here are the top fall decor trends for 2024!
FAVORITE SEASONAL FINDS
It’s back-to-school time so we’re sharing our favorite essentials and dorm room items from Target!
Click the blue links below for more information on each item in the picture!
JanSport student backpack // Bento-style lunch box // Travel backpack // Lunch bag
Mesh shower caddy // Antimicrobial towel // Shower flip flops // Backpack laundry bag
Cozy mask and case //Bedrest pillow // Inflatable chair // Storage ottoman
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Even if you buy a different item than we’ve linked, we earn a commission because you went to the website from our blog!
Your support means the world, and allows us to bring you free content!
We are genuinely thankful when you shop through our links.
HOME ORGANIZATION CHALLENGE WEEKLY TASK
To help keep everyone motivated to organize throughout the year, here are weekly suggestions you can tackle!
You can organize one week of the year or all 52!!
- Week 32- Organize back-to-school supplies and morning/evening routines
- Week 33- Organize backpacks and purses
- Week 34- Organize contact lists and emergency preparedness plan
- Week 35- Organize medicine
POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE FROM OUR ARCHIVES
It’s that time of year when bloggers shift their thoughts from one season to another and begin to plan!
Fall items are already out in the stores and popular items sell quickly.
Even if you are not ready to add Fall items to your home this early, it’s not too soon to plan!
Here are some posts from last year to get you in the mood for Fall!
DIY
Last year, I spotted a gorgeous wreath on the Pottery Barn website but didn’t love the price.
So I took matters into my own hands and created this DIY neutral pumpkin Pottery Barn dupe wreath!
Home Decor
Do you struggle with how to add seasonal decor to your home?
Here are 9 Fall kitchen decor ideas you can easily duplicate in your home!
Organization
Do you dream about doing special seasonal activities during Autumn, but procrastinate putting them on the calendar?
Organize a Fall bucket list to make the most of this festive and fun season!
That’s it for our July rewind!
Whether you spend August soaking up the sun or staying cool indoors, we hope you savor the last days of summer!
We’ll see you back here on the first Saturday in September for our Seasonal Sentiments August Rewind!
Blessings, Donna and Rich
**Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. We appreciate your support. (disclosure policy)
You had a great July. Happy you had fun at Haven.
Thanks Cindy! We had a wonderful time at Haven! It was great seeing other bloggers in person and we learned so much! It’s been a great summer so far!