August Favorites

How are we already over a week into September?! I feel like summer came and went in a blink. As sad as I am that summer is on it's way out, I'm getting really excited for fall! But, before I start looking ahead, here's a look back at the things I loved in August.

SNL's Summer Weekend Update

I don't want to get too political but I think we can all agree that these are not normal times. Scandals, insane storms, nuclear threats from North Korea, neo-Nazis and atrocious attacks against minorities, terrorism around the world, I'll stop there. In the midst of so much injustice, loss of life, and hatred, it can be hard to stay positive and believe that things will get better and that you have the power to make change. As the saying goes, laughter is the best medicine. Luckily, SNL came to the rescue with a special summer edition of Weekend Update during the month of August. These half hours on Thursday nights were a welcome break from the insanity. I also have massive crushes on Colin Jost and Michael Che.

Yoga at Terez

Terez invited me to a special morning yoga class at their gorgeous new offices. Flowing on a rooftop, looking out at NYC, with a cool morning breeze was simply unreal. Class was led by Beth Cooke and every last detail down to water was taken care of by the lovely Terez team. For someone who doesn't often practice yoga, I found the class and Beth's teaching style both accessible and appropriately challenging (she always gave options to advance/take things down a notch). I was more focused on the movements and the incredible experience and so didn't focus much on the music. From what I remember, it complemented the movements and was soothing but not in a lull-you-to-sleep kind of way. As we finished and lay in savasana, the clouds parted and the sun came out; it was like they had planned it. Not to get all cheesy but lying on my mat, I kept thinking how lucky I was to be in that spot and in that moment.

Rocking my Terez x SweetAmbs leggings. Sorry for the fun-house-ish angle.

Mets Game

Our family leans Yankees but the Mets are still the home team, plus for me, going to a baseball game is much more about the experience and I tend to get really bored and forget what's happening, even if I'm staring at the field. What can I say, it's just not my sport. Still, every year I put going to a game on my summer bucket list and it's always a good time. This year's outing was no different. We lucked out with a perfect night weather-wise and the Mets won, hitting 3 (or maybe it was 4?) home runs! My body weight in french fries, quality time with one of my dearest friends and parents, and a home team win- what more could you want?

Play ball! The kid on the screen was doing some sort of contest, I think he won, Idk.

Trip to France

I'm planning to write a much longer post solely on my trip but for now... If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I spent the last week of August (and start of September) in France. After much debate, my parents and I finally determined that yes, we would go away this summer and France would be our spot. We spent a week in Normandy (with a brief spell in Brittany) and then finished up with a day in Paris and something which I will save for my September favorites since it happened in September. (If you follow me on social, you already know.) I had no idea what to expect from the French countryside. Prior to this trip, I had only been to Paris for a weekend and it was not your typical weekend in Paris; I had the flu, the museums were on strike, and it was winter and raining. Let me be the first (or maybe millionth) person to tell you that the French countryside is fabulous. Normandy is stunning, filled with history (hello D-Day), and full of some of the best bread and butter and chocolate chip cookies (I think because of the butter) I've ever had. It's an odd emotional rollercoaster being somewhere that is visually so stunning while also bearing the scars of a war that was not so long ago. You go from hearing stories of incredible valor and horror to driving through fields of cows, from the beaches stormed on D-Day to the medieval and magical abbey of Mont Saint-Michel. I highly recommend going to Normandy and think it's one of the best family trips we've done.

It's arc to believe but we didn't see the Eiffel Tower, only the Arc de Triomphe. Seriously, not just saying it for the pun of it :)

What were your August favorites?