July is a month that has absolutely flown. I don’t even know where it all went! I feel like we got home from Nomad Summer, blinked, and now it’s August. I know that a lot of what has me feeling that way is packing the month with activities and responsibilities. We’ve certainly not had the time to be bored. I am hoping for a calmer rest of the year. I just crave a slower pace, but also want to squeeze as much out of life as possible. It’s a weird place to dwell. As the summer season starts to wind down, though, I’m sure we will too.
Travel Planning This Month
In July, we didn’t do much travel planning at all. We did the smallest amount for the weekends that we have coming up in August.
Travel This Month
I spent a day down in Arkansas getting tattooed. My amazing tattoo artist is down in Rogers, Arkansas and I worked on the inner arm of my second sleeve. I now have two mostly finished sleeves. This addition was a big horn sheep framed in berries and berry blossoms. It’s Charleigh’s favorite animal and will forever make me think of her, so it was a perfect addition to the sleeve that has really large carnations on it for Liam.
We had a 4-day camping trip with my parents to Echo Bluff State Park! It was just amazing. Matt and I both love traveling with my parents. He always gets a little misty on our last day with them, which cracks me up because they live in the same town. We just all work really well together as a team. We fix meals together, explore together, laugh a ton and just enjoy each other’s company. I love that they have a camper to have these experiences with them and I think as much as we love them, our kids love them even more!
I also ended up going to TWO concerts in one week! I got to have a girls’ trip down to Ridgedale, Missouri to see Hozier with Gigi Perez, which was incredible! Both to have a legit girls’ night and to finally see Hozier live! Then, a few days later, Matt and I drove down to Bentonville, Arkansas to see Gregory Alan Isakov. Me for the sixth time, and Matt for the fifth. He never, ever disappoints!
Travel Laughs and Mishaps This Month
It was such a light travel month that we didn’t really have a lot of time for laughs or mishaps… totally fine with me to not have mishaps, though.
Blog Posts from July
June 2025 – A Monthly Roundup – This is a monthly roundup just like this one, but for the month of June.
Camper Diaries – Nomad Summer Pt 2 in Moab, Utah – I’ve been trying to write more about our experiences as campers and a family of four trying to be on the road as much as possible.
Local Adventures in July
I’ve been hitting up the local greenways like crazy. I have missed walking so, so much. I didn’t do it as much as I thought I would while we were on our trip. I had a lot of things on that trip that surprised me, but this is one of the most surprising! So, I’ve definitely changed that up. I get up and walk with my friend Shea at least twice a week, starting before the sun even rises. I’ve also been going solo, going with Matt and even did a little solo walk with Charleigh.
My 4 By 4 Women’s Hiking Club is now meeting twice per month and it is something that just truly fills my cup. I adore the ladies who come, I love getting outside with other women and I love the community we’re crafting! I accidentally took the first group this month swimming. Haha!
Best Thing I Ate in July
Honestly, the best thing I ate in July were these little snack boxes Shea made all the girlies before the Hozier concert! It was just simple and refreshing, but also so stinking beautiful! This girls’ talents know no bounds.
What I Read In July
In July, I’ve been trucking through Wilderness Ethics: Preserving the Spirit of Wilderness – which I’m really enjoying. I like the critical look at education, desire for wilderness preservation and how those things almost seem impossible to have and also have wilderness. I’m also reading Your Guide to Forest Bathing, which is really insightful and I’m looking forward to putting to practice a lot of the teachings this fall. But I’ve also have been tearing (well, tearing for me) through Wild Mama: One Woman’s Quest to Live Her Best Life, Escape Traditional Parenthood and Travel the World. Thus far, Wild Mama is a book that I am connecting so deeply with. I can’t wait to finish it and write more about it in a later post.
Quote of the Month
“Learn about what you’d die for and start living for it.”
Most Popular Blog Post in July
Our Guide to Sequoia National Park with Toddlers – I honestly love this post, so I’m always really excited when I see it rank so well. I want parents to know it is not perfect, but it is possible to keep on traveling with your little ones.
Most Popular Instagram Post and Reel from July
Wild Motherhood Update
CREEK TIME: I have been itching to take the kids into wild water. There are just so many more elements to play with in the wild that you can’t find in a pool or splash pad, like rocks, plants and even bugs. On our trip to Echo Bluff, we got in the creek there and also went to our favorite swimming hole in the state, Rocky Falls Shut-Ins in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. I loved seeing their curiosity about their surrounding and Charleigh is now fearless in the water, which I love. She used to be super timid, but now she wants to swim in the deepest parts – with a swim vest, of course. Liam has always been a little fish, but now that he’s talking and even more interactive, it’s just so fun to watch him explore the water. Taking this trip has me really excited to continue to take them places where water feels a little more wild.
I also am trying to be more intentional with making sure that I prioritize getting the kids outside one of the first things in the morning. It’s very easy to make excuses as the day goes on – it’s too hot, I have responsibilities, etc. – but, making sure to get outside for a minimum of an hour each morning I think has been so good for them! It’s also been so good for me too!
Home and Life Updates in July
Matt and I started a new hobby together – we’ve started to collect vinyl! When we went down to see Gregory Alan Isakov, Matt came back from the merch table with our three favorite albums of his because of a very, very brief conversation we had at dinner. But now, it is pretty much Matt’s whole personality and we spend a lot of evenings just hanging out, doing things we love to do and listening to records. It’s actually so much fun!
What’s Coming in August
We have a couple weekend trips coming up in August that we had to move to these dates because of bad weather this spring, but I’m glad we were able to reschedule. Both are down in Arkansas, one is in an area that we haven’t been to before and the other is a repeat, but we have a list of fun, different things we want to do!
At home, the kids will be going back to school. We are so lucky to be able to send them to a Montessori school, that we love with educators that we love. Also, I love that they’re getting a solid foundation that I trust and love. I do still want to homeschool eventually, but I feel really good about this stage in our lives right now and this choice for our family.
I also, am trying to dip my toe into running. I am doing a running challenge with my friend Shea in August trying to convince myself to love running. We have a goal for ourselves that would be a lot of fun if we ultimately decide that we do love running.
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1 Comment
India Safaris
August 5, 2025 at 7:24 amJuly sounded like a whirlwind in the best way! From concerts to creek time and vinyl nights, love how full and joyful it all feels. Can’t wait to see what August brings for you!