the take home folder volume 74

favorite books of 2025 so far, July goals, choosing the bigger life, + more

welcome to the take home folder

Todd told me this week, “your car is flying through gas” and whew he’s right. The kids have been summering hard with camps and sports and birthday parties and pool days. (And we’re their chauffeurs, ofc.) And I summered hard this week with the fullest social calendar I’ve had in awhile. It’s been really enjoyable! And also, I’m not mad about the quieter summer days we’ve had sprinkled in. Hope you’re both having fun and finding time to recharge your batteries.

my sunday questions

What is something I can do for our home?

What is something I can do for our family?

What is something I can do for myself?

Today for me it’s tidying up the closet off of our entryway - it’s become a catch all, playing a game as a family after dinner, and getting out in my garden to weed, deadhead, and admire the blooms.

Here’s this week’s take home folder, enjoy!

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one // choosing the bigger life

Gretchen Rubin has a concept called “choose the bigger life” and it’s something I think about often, especially as a rather-introverted-creature-of-comfort-who-loves-ordinary-life-at-home-with-my-family. Here’s a small example of choosing the bigger life from my week.

I taught at a Spanish Immersion school for 6 years. It was my first job out of college and I not only adored my job and grew significantly as a person and teacher throughout those years, I met many people with whom I’m still close today. There was a retirement party this week for a very special person who worked at the school. My initial thought was excitement! But then - the doubts clouded my mind. I haven’t worked there in 11 years. I haven’t really spoken Spanish in 11 years, either. On top of that - none of my closest friends from the school were able to attend.

All that to say - I told myself I was choosing the bigger life by attending. And when I tell you that going to that retirement party was one of the best things I’ve done in a long time, I’m not lying. I was able to reconnect with so many people I haven’t seen in a decade (including a few former students from my first class who are now…gulp…25). I drove home with a perma-smile on my face. It would have been easy to skip out but I’m so glad I didn’t.

How can you apply this principle to your life?

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two // my riff on the dilly chop

I’m having such a moment with this salad. The inspiration came from the recipe in Caro Chambers’ cookbook, What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking, but I’ve adapted it over the months.

Here’s how I make it:

romaine, chopped

fresh dill, chopped

parmesan or white cheddar cheese, shaved

pistachios, chopped

avocado, cubed

salt and vinegar potato chips, lightly crushed

dressing:

2/3 c olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 T mayo

1 T honey

1 T dijon mustard

S+P

Eat as is or add a protein of your choice (I’ve done grilled chicken and salmon and both were fab). Yay for big green salads on hot days!

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three // working well this summer

it’s their self-declared summer of learning how to dive

Last summer was tough for me - the transition to Big Kid Summer caught me off guard and I never really found my footing. (We still made great memories - but keeping it real that not every transition/stage is butterflies and rainbows.)

In the weeks leading up to my kids’ summer break, I really got crystal-clear on both my hopes and dreams for summer and the reality of the stage of life we’re in. I was happy for the kids to participate in a few camps and sports with friends (their wish) and also knew I’d need to prioritize my own movement/water intake/getting ready for the day first thing to ensure it got done. We got a pool membership for the first time and I knew that a lot of our afternoons would be spent there with friends instead of at home. With more moving parts than we used to have, I knew that a set schedule for grocery shopping and cleaning would be tough to stick to so I gave myself permission to let that go and rather get it in when I could.

And, three weeks in, this has worked! We’re sunkissed, our social batteries are full, and our bodies get plentyyy of exercise and fresh air to fall into bed tired every night. We’ve had some slower days as well which have felt nostalgic and gentle and I’ve noticed and appreciated them.

All this to say - sometimes settling into a new stage of life takes time. As parents, we notice and evolve. What a beautiful journey.

summer rhythms that are working well for us: part 1 part 2

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four // my favorite books of 2025 so far

bringing a book everywhere has made my reading life so much richer this year!

I’ve read 31 books so far this year. These 7 (tried to narrow it down to 5 but couldn’t) have stuck with me the most. What books feel like shining stars to you so far this year?

Go as a River by Shelley Read

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams

Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford

Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams ¹

The Many Lives of Mama Love by Laura Love Hardin

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five // june reflection + july goals

impromptu DQ stop after 2 hot baseball games

At the end of each month, I like to reflect on what’s gone well and set some goals for the month ahead (fresh start!).

June positives:

I prepared my heart for summer with big kids and have adjusted well.

I had the best reading month I’ve had all year thanks to toting a physical book with me wherever I go, doing a trial of Spotify in which I can get more audiobook listening hours, and going on tons of audiobook walks.

Low spend - not to brag, but we crushed low spend June. Outside of regular bills and groceries, we only spent money on eating out a few times, a couple of birthday gifts for the kids’ friends, and a small Amazon order. We went out for ice cream once but used a gift card. We bought zero clothing, toys, home stuff, tech, etc.

June challenges:

Making dinner when we have a bunch of other things going on has been tough. We’ve had our fair share of frozen pizza or air fryer chicken nugget nights.

Sleep - the kids are going to bed later which means the golden quiet time after they’re asleep has stretched later for me.

July goals:

We need to get our kids to bed a bit earlier and/or plan to go to bed shortly after they do.

Plan simple, seasonal dinners, always keep ingredients on hand for both grilling + Rice Krispie bars.

Go to the pool as much as we can.

Walk a lot - hoping to get avg daily steps to 15k and continue strength training 3x/week (even 20 min is better than nothing).

Refocus on protein, fiber, variety food goals for myself.

One more low spend month!

Notice the good - the good things about summer, the good things I’m doing for myself, the good things about the ages of my kids, the good things in our life.

Can’t believe we’re halfway through the year. Here’s a 5 minute podcast episode re: mid-year resolutions I enjoyed.

What are your hopes and dreams for July? I’m rooting for you.

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see you right back here In two weeks,

(We’re going to be at a friend’s cabin for the holiday weekend but I’ll be back in your inbox on Sunday, July 13th.)

p.s. Need anything on Amazon or at Target this week? Letting my affiliate link open in your app before checking out supports me at no cost to you. Thank you for doing this - I notice and am so grateful!

1. though really best if you read When in Rome and Practice Makes Perfect by the same author first.