I can’t believe it’s already August and summer ends next month (September 23, I am counting down). I feel like I missed out on so many warm, sunny lake days and I’m barely tan, but July was such a fun month. I finished moving everything out of my basement into my new house, I read multiple great books, and I did a bit of traveling. If you follow me on Instagram, I was more MIA than usual, but I’m going to try and hold myself accountable in August!

Here’s a bit about what happened in the past 31 days…

What I Bought:

• Both the Nordstrom Sale AND Amazon Prime Day happened. At the Nordstrom Sale, I got this hairdryer I am GUSHING about.
• On Amazon, I got this paper shredder, which officially makes me an adult. If you are over 25, it’s time to purchase one (lol).
• I also snagged this 3 pack of hand soap. I like this brand more than Bath & Body Works.
• An electric wine opener was an obvious choice.
• Lastly on Amazon, I bought this dress but I’m having to exchange it because it’s too tight. I would say the L fits more like a S in the chest.
• Alligator print is SUPER in, so this $20 Target skirt came home with me for a conference I’m going to next week.

Where I Traveled:

• The beginning of July started with Nicole’s wedding, which was so much fun! It was seriously the sweetest event, and she had a mother-daughter dance, which was a clever idea and got all the moms/daughters on the dance floor together. She also had cake in the middle of every table… and I’m not over my Oreo cake.
• The following weekend was John C. Fremont Days, which in Fremont, Nebraska is a big deal! I spent time in town with my high school gals, enjoying our favorite bakery goodies and coffee from Milady Coffeehouse.
• At the end of the month, I headed to the Ozarks for a family vacation. I flew there with my CEO/a few colleagues, and that was such a treat. It took 38 minutes instead of a six hour drive. Not over that! I’ll be sharing an Ozark Travel Guide next week.

What I Watched:

• I’m still SO obsessed with The Handmaid’s Tale and I look forward to every Wednesday. Last week’s episode had me on the edge of my seat.
• I saw The Lion King in theaters and if you haven’t – you should!! I kind of forgot how great of a movie it is.
• I also, of course, watched The Bachelorette. I am a highly devoted bachelor fan and have been watching since the seventh grade, when the bachelor was my “Tiger Time” teacher’s nephew. Love me some Hannah Brown!

What I Read:

I definitely hit my reading goal (3) this month! I read six books.

• Riley Sager first got me with Final Girls (thanks to my friend Kailey for the recommendation, I gave this 5 stars!), so when my Book of The Month came with Lock Every Door, I was SO ready to dig in! I gave the novel 4/5 stars on Goodreads. It’s a thriller about a girl who is apartment sitting in a high-end building in NYC and the situation is a bit haunted/strange. The end was really unexpected and twisted. Such a page turner.
• Next I read The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. This is such a popular book, but I found that the story drug on a bit. Cora is an escaped slave heading North on the Underground Railroad and the book covers her journey. At one point, she’s living in an attic for months, and this is where I felt like the author lost my attention. It continues on and I finished it, but for me, I needed some more action. I gave this 3/5 stars.
• I was really excited when a few of my “on hold” library books were available. The first was The Lost Man by Jane Harper. Last year I read her novel “The Dry” and really enjoyed it. One of three brothers is found dead at an isolated gravesite in Australia and the story is uncovering why and how his death happened. Parts of the plot were predictable, but I was so drawn in because the Harper does a great job of connecting you with the characters. I threw this on my Summer Reading List and for good reason! I gave this 4/5 stars, but it’s more like 4.5!
• Ask Again, Yes was also on my “on hold” queue, but ugh. I could not find myself enjoying this book. It was complex and had this kind of(?) inter-tangled love story of two kid neighbors who went through a family tragedy and came together as adults in love… it was just not for me. I didn’t see a climax point or anything the plot led up to. If the above description was it, there wasn’t enough juice for me. I gave it 2/5 stars.
• My final July read was a Young Adult Fiction pick, Two Can Keep A Secret. This totally reminded me of a book Meg would read in middle school (I was such a reader then too), but I really liked it! It kept me entertained the whole way through and reminded me of the Pretty Little Liars series a bit with the high schoolers in the storyline, who move to a new town (in with their grandma) and go through a fellow student’s disappearance, much like the disappearance that happened to their aunt back in the day. Sometimes I need a break from my adult fiction and history books, and this was it. I gave this 4/5 stars.

Looking Forward:

I’m skipping my favorite blogger reads section, because I just talked a lot about books above. I’m so looking forward to a social media conference I’m going to next weekend in Arkansas! Many of you know that I do social media marketing for my career, and this is a great learning opportunity. I’ve never been to Arkansas either! I’m also excited because August means the start of college football, and Husker tailgates. As a UNL grad, I’m all about it. Have a great rest of your month!

Take a look back a previous monthly recaps here.