Simple Joys of the Week, September 1st Edition

September 1st, whaaaattttttt? This year = woah. Happy September, happy Local's Summer (one of the many names for this month here on Cape Cod), happy Back to School season, and happy almost-Fall! So crazy.

How was your week? Ours has been wonderful but kind of hectic--Ben took the week off of work in order to spend time as a family, go to the beach, do some house projects, etc., but with daycare being canceled one day and both of us trying to pack in ALL of our to-dos + appointments while he's been home, we've ended up feeling a little crazed. BUT, now we have a long weekend ahead of us and my dad is coming up for a short visit later today so we're hoping we'll have a bit of time to  s l o w  i t  d o w n  over the next couple of days. 

And speaking of slowing it down, lets chat about our favorite simple pleasures from the past week! Here are a few of the wonderful things that made me smile over the past 7 days...what brought you joy? 

HEAR: Ocean waves + seagulls on a baby-free beach date with Ben
Yesterday was a GORGEOUS day here and Charlie Mae was at daycare so Ben and I decided to go on our second ever "date" since having Charlie Mae and went to the beach as a couple (!!). We spent time relaxing, talking, walking hand-in-hand down the beach, and reminiscing about how weird it is that every beach trip used to feel this carefree. Of course we missed Charlie Mae, but it was really nice to have no one else to worry about for a few hours. Oh, and at one point I leaned back, shut my eyes, and really listened to the sounds of the beach, which I hadn't done all summer. It was gloriously soothing.

SEE: Charlie Mae dancing
Our girl can dance! OMG does she love to shake her hips! It is the CUTEST. I'd say that she busts out some pretty intense dance moves at least 5-6x per day (to music, of course) and she swings her hips and shakes her body like no other. We don't know where she gets it but it ain't from her mama ;) 

TASTE: Grilled cheese + tomato soup dinner
So basic, but Ben made us this little meal for dinner on Tuesday night (it was a chilly evening) and it hit the spot. Why is this combo SO delicious? 

SMELL: New car smell
Ben traded in his RAV4 for his very first truck this week! While the decision took a lot of serious discussion between the two of us and I wasn't super pro-truck in the beginning, I'm happy for him that he's going to be driving the vehicle he's been dreaming about and it really is good-looking (and useful!). It may be a 1/3-life-crisis-mobile (or a new-dad-crisis-mobile?), but I think we'll all enjoy having truck around here. 

TOUCH: Cooler weather
I'm not rushing fall because I love going to the beach in September, but I have been really enjoying the cool mornings + evenings that we've been experiencing this week. As I write this, we have the windows open and I'm wearing a sweatshirt, which is kind of amazing. The return of crisp morning air is always such a treat after a hot summer. 

And there you have it! Of course Charlie Mae's first birthday party was another big joy this week (full of lots of little, simple joys), but I left those out of this post since I already shared the basics with all of you on Monday. 

By the way, I'm feeling weird about the fact that I haven't said anything about Hurricane Harvey/Houston here on the blog yet. I'm horrified by what's happening in TX right now and am sending good thoughts + energy to all of you who live there or have friends/family there. Looking for a way to help? I recommend donating to The Red Cross (you can even text REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10) or The Houston Humane Society.  

Lastly, quick programming note: I'll be taking Monday off of blogging in order to enjoy Labor Day with the fam. See you back here on Wednesday + enjoy your Labor Day weekend!