August has really been all about getting back into a routine. School started, we’re a couple weeks in now, and things seem to be going really well.

I am loving having time again to actually get things done, and the boys seem to be settling into a really good rhythm too. After a summer that felt a little all over the place, I’m just really happy that we’ve finally made it to a point where we can take a big breath of relief and move forward.

So without further ado, here are the things I’ve been loving this August.

1. “Now is all we’re ever given” – Liz Zander The Heartstrings Duet

Not a single day has gone by since I finished The Heartstrong Duet by Liz Zander that I haven’t chanted some version of “all we ever get is right now” in my head.

I finished these books in July, but they’re still with me a month later, which means I absolutely need to write about them in this month’s Little Things. A good friend here in Austin recommended them to me, and I’d classify them as a dark, tragic romantasy duet.

In a nutshell, the books are set in this gloomy, almost noir world and follow a gravedigger’s daughter as she tries to save the kingdom and her dying brother from a rot that’s killing all living things. The rot is the result of a curse created by the god of death himself.

The writing is somehow both grotesque and poetic, if that makes any sense. Ultimately, the story ends up being about the pain of loving something when you know you can’t keep it. It’s beautiful and haunting, and like I said, I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I finished.

I will say, it is tragic. I cried, which I hardly ever do while reading. I gave both books five stars, but I probably won’t ever read them again, even though I’m so glad I did.

If you’re in the mood for something that will ground you in gratitude for your life and the people in it, I highly recommend them. Just know they will absolutely gut-punch you.

2. Drum Lessons

This blog is about things that make me happy, and one thing making me so happy right now is Griffin and his drums. At the end of last school year, he started saying he wanted to be in a band with his friends and play the drums. I basically said, “That’s fun,” and moved on, assuming it was one of those fleeting things kids say.

But then he kept talking about it all summer. He started growing his hair out so it could cover his eyes like a rock star. He wanted me to buy him white T-shirts and black pants. And then he actually asked to learn how to play the drums.

This is a new thing for us because both of our boys have been hella resistant to extracurricular activities. So when Griffin showed a real interest in something, I pounced. He went into those lessons so excited to learn and, let me tell you, I really think he has a natural talent for it. We bought him a used electric drum set to practice on at home, and it’s been a daily habit ever since.

I am so proud of this kid I could burst. It’s so cool when your kids start to show a genuine interest in something, especially when it happens to be something I love too. It is so stinking cute watching my 8-year-old get after it on the drums. I love it so much.

Who knows how long this interest will last, but in the meantime, we’re all having so much fun cheering Griffin on while he plays along with The Beatles.

3. Fruit Crisp/Crumble

This summer we somehow fell into a berry crisp/crumble obsession that I am not mad about. We first made one on our vacation up in Minnesota with Mike’s family. We had a bunch of fruit left over and needed a way to use it up, so naturally…enter a crisp.

I used a recipe that first time, but since then I’ve mostly just been winging it with different fruits and whatever ratio of oats, flour, butter, and sugar feels right.

There is legit something magical that happens when you mix butter, oats, and sugar. It puts me into a frenzy, I tell you. We’ve been making some random version of a crisp about every other week and eating it after dinner with a little Cool Whip on top.

I cannot wait for apple season this fall because I already know I’ll be making all the crumbles. Apparently I just need to get this out of my system, so we’ll keep going until we’re all sick of them.

4. The Glute Builder Program in SLAM

I’ve been feeling like I needed to change the way I work out a little. More rest between lifting sessions, less HIIT-style stuff, and more focus on actually building strong muscles, especially as I get closer to perimenopause.

For a while I was doing some combination of running and the Advanced program inside the Strong Like a Mother app almost six days a week. I LOVE this app and have used it for years for at-home strength training, but I was starting to feel like the overall intensity was just a little too high and I wasn’t recovering very well. So I decided to try one of the six-week training blocks inside the app called the Glute Builder program. I’m on week five right now and I am absolutely loving it.

I genuinely feel stronger than I did five weeks ago. I’m doing things I never thought I’d do, like holding 30-pound dumbbells while doing Bulgarian split squats. I don’t know if that sounds impressive to you, but it feels very impressive to me 😂

I love that there’s more rest, fewer explosive movements, and more of a focus on controlled strength work. I’ve been pairing it with one quick 30-minute treadmill run during the week and one longer, easier-paced run on the weekend. I’ve also been skipping the metabolic conditioning in the program because I’m intentionally moving away from that style of training right now.

She has beginner, intermediate, and advanced versions of the program. I’m doing intermediate, and I already plan on repeating it once I finish because six weeks doesn’t feel like enough time. I want another full block to keep building on the strength I’m gaining. I’m just really loving this style of programming right now. It feels challenging without completely draining me, and I can actually tell I’m getting stronger.

5. K’nex Building Sets

A couple of years ago, Mike’s mom was cleaning out her basement and found some old K’NEX building sets from when he was little and brought them to us. The boys played with them for a bit, then they eventually ended up shoved on a shelf.

But this summer they came back out, and I think the boys are finally at the exact right age for them because they are OBSESSED. Like, literally obsessed. We’ve bought a few additional sets since then just to give them more pieces to work with, and they will spend hours building things. They especially love the motorized sets, so we’ve had to buy a couple extra motors too. They’ve made all kinds of cool stuff, machines, animals that move and walk, tractors, random contraptions…all of it.

It has honestly been such a game changer for us this summer. I’m telling you, they will sit there and build for HOURS. Highly recommend if you have kids around this age. For reference, mine are 8 and 10.

---

And that’s August. This month was really about getting back into a routine, finding our footing again, and enjoying some of the things that have made this season feel a little more fun.

As always, if you’re looking for something from a past Little Things post, I’ve organized and linked as much as possible over on my Amazon storefront so it’s easier to find everything in one place.

Here’s the link: Amber Frauenholtz’s Amazon Page

See y’all next month for another roundup of favorite finds, things I’m loving, and whatever random obsession has taken over my life by then.