💌 shared notes | september monthly musings (no. 4)
A cozy, full-of-everything catch-up from both of us – saved for the first Saturday of each new month.
This summer went by way too fast – it was filled with emotional ups & downs, life shifts, and jam-packed weekends. It wasn’t until Kel posted her June-August roundup of photos on Instagram that we realized just how full of love & fun this summer was. Which reminded us that sometimes you have to zoom out & look at the complete picture to truly understand the extent of it all.
Although we’re sad that summer is coming to an end, we are ready. September to us is the start of a new season of life – a chance to reflect on the year and decide what we want to adjust as we move into the final third of 2025! We’re heading to Jackson Hole for a girls trip later this month, so we can’t wait to share our must-sees, must-dos, and must-eats in an upcoming newsletter or blog post!
We’re so excited to spend this Saturday morning with you. Now, grab a coffee (or something off of your toddler’s plate, if that’s also your stage of life right now), and let’s catch up! 🤍
xo,
Brooke & Kelcy
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links we can’t stop sending each other, products, links, current faves
We’re loving this article filled with life lessons from a girl who shares the top things she’s learned from reading over 100 self-help books (which we like to call “life improvement” books) ✨
We recently hopped on the mouth-tape trend & we’re loving it so far! We were hesitant for so long but once we realized there’s room to breathe through it, we got on board & are enjoying the deeper sleep!
This stunning purse is quite a bit above our normal spend, but we got it for our mom for her birthday & it’s gorgeous IRL – so we thought it was worth a share if you’re in the market!
Kel’s two-year-old daughter is obsessed with drawing cats & dogs right now (well, watching mom draw cats & dogs), so we’re determined to learn cute things to draw – and might start with this tutorial book!
get the look: Nancy Meyers-Inspired Living Room
We’re loving the cozy, lived-in yet chic Nancy Meyers aesthetic that’s perfect for fall, and this slipcovered sofa, cozy armchair, and rug really anchor it all together.
To live your best Diane-Keaton-in-Something’s-Gotta-Give life, a desk moment is a must. We’re loving this statement console as a desk, plus chair & lamp combo.
It wouldn’t be a Nancy Meyers-inspired space without some warm lighting, and these taper-shade lamps on the end tables & ceramic lamp are both gorgeous!
Can you believe this little drink/cocktail table is from Target?! So chic!
This dark-oak media console is a showstopper & this contrasting light-wood coffee table is simple, yet stunning!
To see the pillows, faux flowers, and everything linked in one place (plus other alternatives!), click here!
what we’re watching
We’re obsessed with this season of The Summer I Turned Pretty & can’t wait to see what happens. We’ve been #TeamConrad since the beginning, so time will tell! We’ve heard rumors of how the books end, but we have done our best to stay in the dark until we see it all unfold on screen!
B & her husband finished You on Netflix, and while it was even crazier than any of the past 4 seasons in terms of unbelievability, it did tie the end of the show into a nice pretty bow, which was appreciated.
We all (us & our husbands) finished The Better Sister and loved it! Jessica Biel, at least her in the show, is now our style icon.
We both also started season 2 of Quarterback & are big fans of Jared Goff, of the Detroit Lions, and feeling even more meh than usual about Joe Burrow, of the Cincinnati Bengals…although we do love that he has interest in learning the piano!
In a continuation of Kel’s “Matthew McConaughey Summer 2025” she can confidently say her favorites are still How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Interstellar – both of these are also in our Top 5 favorite movies of all time!
** To do something similar, just open up IMDB for [insert actor], put all of the movies you think are worth watching in a hat, and then each time you want to watch one… pick three out of the hat, choose two total to represent “your choices” & flip a coin between them to decide that night’s movie selection. Way more fun than scrolling Netflix!
If you have any show or movie recommendations that you’ve loved (new or old!), send them our way! Leave a comment or message us – we always love getting new recs.
what we’re reading
We absolutely loved Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry! As much as we enjoyed her novel People You Meet on Vacation, we would have voted that this new one be the one that got turned into a movie or show.
B finished reading The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami and while it caused some this-could-totally-be-real-life discomfort, it was a good read & one she’ll be thinking about for awhile.
We also started Recursion by Blake Crouch, who wrote Dark Matter, which we loved! We’re enjoying it so far, so read it with us if you’d like!
We also love new book recs! We’re part of a book club, so we’ll share what we’re reading the first Saturday of each month in this Monthly Musings series & hope you do the same!
what we’re listening to
We’re hopping back on the audiobook train with Imperfect Women by Araminta Hall – it’s going to be a limited series on Apple TV+ starring Elisabeth Moss and Kerry Washington. In all honesty, Libby only had it available via audiobook & it’s a book club book, so we’re trying to finish on time!
Yacht rock is still reigning supreme at our homes! We set a Sonos alarm to play the yacht rock station every morning at 7:30am, and it’s just such a fun way to start the day.
what we’re eating/drinking
We’ve had Costco’s canned salmon sitting in the pantry for months & after seeing this easy recipe on Tiktok, it’s flying off our shelves. It’s the world’s easiest meal that’s packed with protein, healthy fats & omegas, etc. Def adding to our rotation!
After we skipped “First Friday Pizza Night” in July & August since life just got busy, we are so happy that we reinstated the tradition last night. It’s such a great way to get together with loved ones & make homemade pizza.
little joys
B is pregnant with another baby boy on the way! Today marks the first day of the second trimester. 💙👶🏻
Playing games with the little ones! They’re finally at the age where we can teach them and keep their attention for longer than a few seconds, so B tested it by playing Yahtzee with her son – the most darling thing ever!
The toddler stage of wanting to wear tutus, accessorize & try on mommy & daddy’s shoes is just the cutest thing 🎀
Having an unexpected #TomatoGirlSummer thanks to the tomatoes growing over the fence from our neighbor’s garden! We love picking them as a family activity & then using them to make dinner, toddler snacks & more.
After 2+ years of no hiking, we’re back!! From going to something Kel and her husband used to do every weekend to not at all, it was easy to fall into the “new normal,” but we’re so happy we tried the Torrey Pines Beach Trail Loop in La Jolla – so pretty and easy (can’t wait to take the kids in a few more years)!
Thanks for spending part of your Saturday with us – it means more than you know. Whether you’re sipping coffee, chasing toddlers, or just enjoying a slow scroll, we’re so happy to be a small part of your day.
See you in your inbox soon! 🤍
xo,
Brooke & Kelcy
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