Wednesday Wins – August 2025

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1. My zinnias! My garden is a weedy, neglected disaster, but the zinnias don’t care. They’re blooming and looking so lovely! I’ve actually only ever planted a zinnia here or there in the past, but this year I planted them in several spots. Everyday, I see a new one has bloomed, and I can’t tell you how happy this has made me – and the pollinators! My bee balm and echinacea were the crowning jewels of July, and this August is the month of the zinnias. Next year, I’ll need to plant so many more, because they are just delightful.

2. This fly swatter racket. Last year, we had a MAJOR fruit fly issue. Like, I was embarrassed to invite people over, it was so bad. This silly little fly zapper saved me from insanity. Summertime always brings flies again, and so I busted it out again this week. It’s a game changer! No more ugly fly strips hanging from the ceiling!

3. Book talks with my teens – and this book. One of my favorite things about teens is that suddenly you have these friends that you can talk about books with, in your house all the time! My oldest (who is nearly 18) and I had this great talk about life and books the other night, and I was telling him all about this book I finished not too long ago, Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson. This happens to be one of my son’s favorite authors. The Wingfeather Saga has been a series he has reread over and over again, since he was probably 10. And as he is looking to launch his own writing career, this book is the perfect mix of memoir and writing advice, all centered around using your creative gifts for the Kingdom of God. It’s a powerful book, and I highly recommend it! (And if you listen to the audio version, it’s read by the author, and he even sings some of his songs.)

4. The Be Present app – I started using this about a month and a half ago, and it’s had such a huge impact on my screentime and my phone habits. I’ve talked about this quite a bit in my emails, but I’ve been trying to make huge shifts to change my own habits around my phone, and set better boundaries. The Be Present app has you set intentions for how man y times you want to open an app, so that when you click on it, it gives you the chance to say “Wait, did I actually want to be on Instagram right now? Or did I just click on this out of habit?” And you can also set limits for your time, and it keeps track of it all for you. I didn’t think I would care about the “streak,” but it’s surprisingly rewarding. ;) The paid version has been worth every penny for me and the time I’ve gotten back from my phone!

5. My new podcast, In the Margins. This is actually a private podcast for the members of The Literary Lounge, but I’ve been loving these short, more unfiltered times to encourage homeschool moms in my community. If you’d like to listen, quarterly memberships are open right now, and I’d love for you to join us. :) I’m really leaning into these long-form content formats again, rather than the quick ten second reels that just don’nt have a lot of depth to them.