Issue #52: Getting back into a routine with this week's picks
Summer recommendations for what to watch, read, and cook this week.
Welcome to The Monday Mood, where we ease into the week without the pressure of starting fresh or having it all figured out. From book recommendations and creative encouragement to reminders that you’re doing better than you think, I hope this space gives you something that feels good, whether that’s your next read, permission to protect your time, or just the feeling that someone gets it.
It’s been a while! Happy Monday!
I hope July is treating you well. A short break turned into an unprompted multiweek break, and I’m finally well enough after a cold to think clearly. I’ve missed writing this newsletter and catching up with you all!
It’s a beautiful Sunday as I’m writing this with the humidity low enough to open the windows. We moved into this house almost three years ago and are just now getting around to fixing up the deck into a space we actually want to spend time in, so I’m looking forward to setting up the patio furniture this week and a new outdoor reading spot before work.
Our potted garden is coming along nicely too. We’ve got tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and a variety of herbs, like dill, rosemary, thyme, and basil growing, and we’re trying grow bags for potatoes for the first time this year. I can’t wait to make giambotta once we have a harvest!
TO TRY: Create a “bad day plan.” It’s a short list of go-to comforts for when the day just isn’t going right. Mine includes things like putting on a favorite show, getting pho, making a cup of tea, calling a friend, or going on a drive. The idea is to have it written down somewhere so you’re not trying to figure out what you need in the moment when you’re already overwhelmed. You can pull it out and just pick one thing instead of scrolling for an hour trying to feel better. Write yours down this week and keep it somewhere easy to find.
TO WATCH: The Five-Star Weekend is the perfect summer show and it centers female friendships in a way that we don’t often see. For only eight episodes, it balances humor, drama, and grief, and the adaptation is done really well.
TO READ: I’m about 25% into The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson on audio, listening in shorter stretches, but it’s kept my attention. The story centers on a woman who works her way into an exclusive social circle in a small coastal town, unraveling friendships and marriages along the way. It starts off light and entertaining, but I’m waiting for the turn!
TO EAT: This weather has me ready for salads but given the state of grocery store produce and our vegetable garden not ready, we’re doing miso salmon curry, bruschetta chicken, slow cooker beef and broccoli, and since we are a household that eats soup even in the middle of July, fire roasted parmesan and bean soup.
TO BUY: PauseBox has been my go-to for getting things done while limiting digital distractions (aka being attached to my phone). I couldn’t justify spending a lot on a product I wasn’t positive I’d stick with, but it’s my favorite purchase this month because it’s helping me cut down on screen time. I realized I couldn’t ditch my phone without some physical barriers despite what I first thought. I’ve used it for about two weeks now and love that I can set block schedules that automatically block me from social media during the day, giving me a smaller window to catch up so I’m more intentional with what I’m consuming.
We’ve had a family of deer visit every day, and the other night it was such a treat to see a mom with a young buck and four or five spotted fawns in our yard. The photos aren’t the best quality, but I’m sharing a few!
Looking for the perfect second-chance summer romance? Every Summer After by Carley Fortune delivers with its lakeside cabin setting and slow-burn love story. I’ll admit, I’m not usually a fan of dual timelines, and this one took a little while to pull me in. But once it did, I couldn’t put it down. The “then” timeline has this nostalgic quality that makes it work!
This is also a second-chance romance, which I’m becoming fond of, and follows childhood friends Sam and Persephone as the story moves between past and present. They meet as kids at a small lake town in Canada when Persephone’s family buys the cottage next door to Sam and his brother. The two become inseparable, and their friendship slowly turns into something more over the years, with plenty of near-misses and missed timing along the way.
In the present day, Sam’s mom passes away, bringing Persephone back into his life for the first time in years. The book does an incredible job at exploring themes of family, friendship, and the complicated process of growing up both together and apart. If you like Emily Henry books, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this one too.
Thanks for being here and being a part of The Monday Mood. I’m so grateful for this community. If something in this issue resonated with you, I’d love if you’d tap the heart, leave a comment, or share it with someone who might need it.
We are a soup in the summer household, too! We did a butternut squash soup yesterday and have black bean soup on the list this week. I definitely want to try the parmesan and white bean soup. The Shampoo Effect seems great! Going to see if it's in my library. I have been seeing the 5 Star Weekend show on my recommended on Peacock! Need to watch.