One fancy alarm clock, five books, and 100 days of meditation

The glimmer of August routines ✨

Hello August! Hello routines! After the chaos that was July, I was thrilled to welcome some normalcy into our lives this month.

In mid-August, my daughter returned to preschool, which means less mental load figuring out childcare and more capacity to dive into my various freelance assignments. Our weekday mornings are once again predictable, and I’ve been going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. Bliss.

The temperatures in Atlanta are dropping ever so slightly, which is a very welcome relief. Billy and I have started a weekly check-in. It’s a practice that’s in its early days, but so far is helping our relationship in numerous ways. I didn’t go on any trips or big excursions this month — and I think that’s what made August feel so sweet. It was a reminder of how much the little things matter. How nice it is to find happiness, right where you are.

As a reminder, these monthly glimmers posts are just for paying subscribers: they are a way to say thank you and to remind folks to look for their own moments of joy. Read below to find out what books I loved this month, why I spent an absurd amount of money on an alarm clock, and how a creative project prompted me to throw all my beloved routines out the window.