High Five Monday – August

Howdy Y’all!

How was your weekend? Mine was quiet and relaxed, I got some “me” time courtesy of Mr L (hope it might result in my first Vlog but lets not get carried away…)  More excitingly, a dear friend of mine was celebrating the safe arrival of her beautiful baby whom I had the great pleasure to meet. It’s amazing that Little L used to be that small, where does the time go? (that is a rhetorical question, since this is not a Stem blog!) So this weeks high five is all about August and things that make it great. If you live in a place that gets super hot as we do, August can begin to get you down. It can be quite limiting, especially with energetic toddlers, but behind all clouds is that silver lining so I wanted to celebrate that with August.

1. The Weather, don’t scream at me for this, especially those of you who, like me, fantasize about rain. I am not a sun worshipper and never have been; don’t really have the complexion for it. This was never such a problem when I lived in the UK as it was such a rarity to see the sun (even in August.) The heat in Texas in August is no laughing matter: it gets road-melting hot! So that often means being outside a little less – unless of course you can use a pool. I am thankful because the weather has caused the L family to use the pool and enjoy more family time. We also spend time together in Little L’s play area, compensating for the fact we want to be outside at the park. It has also caused me to focus on tweaking areas of the house which needed sorting, which I would be more reluctant to do if the weather was more agreeable.
2. Travel, August is one of the most popular months for travel. Whether it’s to get out of the heat, find more of it, or enjoy it in more pleasant circumstances, August is travel time. I love to travel, but I don’t love travel and I don’t know many who do, especially with a toddler. Travel to me is a form of education and I cannot get enough. It really is a treat to immerse and expose yourself to new cultures and experiences. With school vacations being in August this makes it prime time for holidaying/vacationing. Since Little L is not at school yet, we might shoot for a vacation in the next few months.
3. Shopping, yay August is a fantastic month for shopping and sales, in particular large expensive purchases. If you are looking to book flights for Thanksgiving or Festive Season, it is widely alleged that you will receive the best prices in August. So come on BOOK. If you are looking for a new automotive (I’ll have an Aston Martin please Mr L), August is your month. The industry is preparing for the new season models so great deals on older models. Patio furniture and grills are a summer staple in any climate. You can get great deals on these items in August and still get plenty of use for the remaining season. Do not even get me started on storage and organizational sales.
4. Back to school time. This is bittersweet but I am putting this one out there for my mama friends who have kiddies of school age. A combination of heat and a bored child means that the beginning of the school season can be a blessing. In the US the majority of kids head back in August and in Europe preparations for an early September start will be underway. We all need the normalcy of getting back to the routine. Children back at school means Little L and I will start back with our usual routine classes.
5. Sport, Football is here again. Now this a ridiculous statement from me, sport not really a LL thing, but over the summer I have educated myself in five seasons of Friday Night Lights, so I am an expert! Sport is such a big deal in Texas I have decided one of my mini resolutions is to learn more about it. Many of my dear female friends love sport (baseball in particular) and I do not want to be left behind. So, much to Mr L’s delight, I am educating him in US football. After all “Clear Eyes, Full hearts, Can’t Lose.”

High Five August.

What do you like about August? Leave me a comment?

Ta ta for now

TLL x