August always feels like a gentle reminder to soak up those last days of Summer. The days are still warm, the garden is abundant, and yet there’s a quiet whisper of autumn just ahead. This time always feels a little busy for me, as I prepare for a new homeschool year and try to check off any late Summer bucket list goals, like a few more creek days with friends and trying out a new popsicle recipe. It always feels like I want to just squeeze in a few more Summer things.
Here’s a little glimpse into what I’ve been cooking, cleaning, and creating as we lean into the last stretch of summer.
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What I’m Cooking
This time of year, my kitchen usually smells like tomatoes simmering on the stove and fresh herbs hanging to dry. We didn’t do a vegetable garden this year, but I am savoring all the fresh produce from local markets. There’s something deeply satisfying about preserving what God has grown—whether it’s a batch of homemade jam or simply slicing peaches for the freezer. I also always feel the urge to start baking again, since I don’t bake too much through June and July. (Even though it still feels very much like Summer down here in Virginia all through August and well into September!)
Some things I’ve been making lately:
- Garlic butter steak bites with any fresh in-season veggies I can find as the side
- Small-batch peach jam (just enough to tuck into the pantry for cooler days)
- Herb-infused oils to use through the fall
- Grilled corn and zucchini—the essence of late summer simplicity
- Lots of mini protein muffins for the boys and quick breads sliced on the counter for easy-to-grab snacks
This month, I’m focused less on complicated meals and more on using what’s in season, letting the flavors speak for themselves. I always feel a need to eat as much in-season produce as I can before it is Fall and Winter, where we are not eating as much fresh fruits. Watermelon and berries, especially!
What I’m Cleaning
August is usually one of my reset months. I like to think of it as the homemaker’s quiet new year.
As we get closer to back-to-homeschool season, I’m slowly:
- Tidying up our school shelves and baskets
- Finally getting around to tossing paperwork we don’t need anymore and organizing used curriculum
- This year looks differently, because I am actually packing away homeschool books and supplies that I know I won’t need over the next two months, because we are moving!
- Decluttering kitchen drawers and the pantry, specifically going through spices and seeing if any are expired. I don’t need to haul expired food across the country!
Because we are moving, this season is going to be a busy one. Purging and packing are going to be my new normal for awhile. But I’m just starting with one small area a day, with worship music on and little hands nearby helping when they can. My goal is to not stress over this move! (Easier said than done, right?)
What I’m Creating
My hands long to create in slower moments—and August offers those golden pockets of quiet before Fall routines fully take hold.
Some simple things I’ve been enjoying (which are unintentionally all flower-themed!):
- Drying florals from the yard to use in fall wreaths and arrangements
- Pressing flowers with my children for future bookmarks and gifts
- Drying lavender from the yard that I plan to use for making some Christmas gifts
- Enjoying my zinnias fresh in a pitcher on the table- something I always miss during the cold months!
I’ve also been dreaming up our first-day-of-homeschool celebration—something simple, joyful, and homemade. A special breakfast and a little banner go a long way. We are starting a little later than usual this year because we have had so much going on. (I also waited way too long to order this year’s curriculum, so I am still waiting on that! oops!)
What I am reading
I have been working my way through 30 Days of Prayer: A Bible Study in Psalms (by Proverbs 31 Ministries). I LOVE this study! It is exactly what I need right now. I am still working my way through the Bible Recap (which is taking me about two years, instead of one year), but I took a break from that daily bible reading plan for this study. It has prompted some deep thoughts and journal entries, and I am doing so much more reflecting and praying recently.
I started reading Brave The Wild River by Melissa L. Sevigny, but I honestly just couldn’t really get into it. Last month I read A Land Remembered by Patrick D. Smith, and it was SO so good. It’s always hard for me to read a really amazing book, and then pick up one I am just not really into it. I give up on it sooner than normal! An audiobook I started back in June but never finished was The Lifegiving Home by Sally and Sarah Clarkson. I love anything from Sally and was really enjoying the book, I just got busy trying to read too many books at once and didn’t finish it. I think I have just a few chapters left, so I will get to that one soon.
This month is about gathering—gathering food, memories, moments. It’s about being faithful in the in-between. When everything feels like it’s “almost” something—almost fall, almost school time, almost harvest, or for my family, almost time to move—we still have the invitation to be fully present. To savor those last sweet days of Summer.
Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us that “there is a time for everything.” And August is a time for savoring, preparing, and tending—both home and heart.
As you go about your days, may your hands be busy and your spirit at rest. And may your homemaking be a quiet offering of love in this sweet, in-between season.
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out:
The Beauty of Seasonal Living: Aligning Your Home and Heart With the Seasons
Seasonal Homemaking: What I’m Cooking, Cleaning & Creating This June
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