your glowing guide to august: a cozy compendium

a cozy guide to august. savouring late summer, a little fall excitement indulgence, moments of celebration and a read/watch list for the month.

the first week of august hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning.
_{—natalie babbitt, tuck everlasting}

august. happy salt air, and the rust on your door month to all who celebrate. i always think of august as the sunday of the summer. it has the energy of a sunday night—the feeling that something good is ending looms, but you’re still here soaking it all in while you can. the eighth chapter of the year holds such a mix of moods. it’s still summertime, the warmth and golden glow still felt and seen, but there’s a slight coolness that starts to roll in on the evening fog, a promise that before we know it summer will yield to autumn.

and yet, while i’m so aware that the summer is ending, august sometimes feels like my fullest, most summer month. it’s a month of mini road trips, picnics in parks, weekends away, warm beach days, and drive in nights. it’s also the month that now houses my wedding anniversary, a day that fills my heart with the kind of warmth only the summer could hold. in my childhood (which i like to reminisce on in these posts), august was often the month of our family summer road trip—a trip that always stretched time in a way that home never could. even just 4 days away somehow felt like they held more summer than all the other months combined, and i think that august energy still sticks with me. as a child, august was waking up early on vacation to drag my mom to the pool, small town boardwalks where the air smelled like a mix of ocean water and brunch cooking, sunscreen and bonfires as the sun dipped below the horizon. august is being shy but still meeting another kid at a cabin, becoming week-long best friends.

the energy of august: reflective, golden, soft, wistful, ephemeral

today i learned of a japanese idiom—mono no aware—that translates to “the pathos of things”. it speaks to having a gentle sadness and empathy for things. the sweet pain you feel when you see that life and all things in it must pass. it’s the bittersweet awareness that comes with realizing that beauty is precious because it’s impermanent. think of it like seeing a beautiful flower bloom, and the knowing that before you know it the petals will fall again, or feeling the warm summer start to fade as autumn leaves begin to drop.

for me, august can’t help but arrive with the awareness that the sweet summer is slowly (or quickly) coming to a close. it’s always the month that makes me really realize just how fast the time slips by us. while june—the beginning of summer, with still just over half the year left ahead—makes the year feel so long and abundant, august confronts us with the reality that there are only 4 short months left before the calendar turns over once again. how can that be, when it’s still only summer? and yet it’s a truth i realize again each year, as if for the first time.

i think thats why august—beautiful, sweet, glowing august—always carries a slightly melancholy feeling with it, at least for me. it’s bittersweet. because while it’s my fullest, most summery month, it also holds the same beauty and comfort as a sunday night, or the last half of a fading sunset. have you ever sat and really paid attention to the sun setting? the first half seems to move so slowly you can barely notice it, and then as the sun sits on the horizon it starts to dip so quickly you blink and you could miss it. the colours their most vibrant and glowing just before the sun tucks away and darkness takes over. august is kind of like that—a warm, beautiful glowing sunset before it inevitably fades away.

i love borders. august is the border between summer and autumn; it is the most beautiful month i know.
_{— tove jansson}

the end of summer setup
making the most of what’s left.

• create your ‘rest of summer’ bucket list
  think about what you really wanted to do this summer but haven’t yet. or what you wish you did more of. it can be anything, but aim for things that are summer specific. what would make this feel like a great summer? what will you be wishing you did in the summer once the snow returns? make a list and a plan to make sure you get it all in.

• choose an august companion book
  pick one book to carry you through the month. i love choosing companion books for different months, seasons, or vibes i want to carry. the goal of the companion book is not to read it quickly, but rather to slowly savour it throughout the whole month so that when the month comes to a close, so does the book. and then when you pick up that book in the future, it will really feel like august is slipped between the pages. think of picking the book like picking a friend who is going to go on all this month’s adventures with you.

• journal outdoors
  before the summer comes to a close, be sure to bring your journal outside and spend some time alone. ideally with no distractions, and only the sounds of the season as your playlist. i love sitting down under a big tree with nothing more than a picnic blanket, my journal and pen, and my thoughts. untangle what you need to, reflect on what was and will be, write about what august feels like to you, and what you hope to remember of this summer.

• create a summer send-off
  make a plan for your last few days of august to really make them count. revisit your favourite outdoor spot of the season, make a summer photo album and get your favourite photos printed out. make or plan to order the perfect end of summer meal, something that feels like a true send off. eat at the beach, play cards outside. anything you think would feel like closing the chapter, almost like a going away party and summer is the guest of honour.

savour the summer
soak up all the season still has to offer.

• a weekend away
  my favourite way by far to savour any season is to plan a little weekend away. it doesn’t have to be a trip packed with plans and touristy destinations, even just a weekend in a cottage an hour from home carves out the season in my mind. don’t underestimate how even a weekend sitting outside by a cottage with a book feels so different in memory from a weekend spent at home. our little trips are always my favourite traditions.

• weekly(ish) beach ritual
  one thing i always wish i did more of once summer passes: going to the beach. i feel like no matter how often you go, you wish you went more. my husband and i have started trying to make a point of going to the beach even for just an hour or two after he is off work to relax and read, and its such a beloved pastime. this august, i am going to try my best to get to the beach once a week, even if the weather isn’t great and it’s just for a walk by the ocean instead of laying out in the sun and swimming.

• an outdoor picnic
  we started a tradition last year of going to a park that we love about an hour from home, packing up a picnic basket and blanket, and sitting under our favourite tree. which may not sound like much of a tradition, but thats the beauty of personal traditions, they don’t have to be much. my husband and i initially did this to celebrate our time being engaged shortly before getting married, and while on our picnic we wrote each other notes about why we are excited to marry one another. now writing notes to each other at our picnic is a favourite tradition.

• go watch the sunset

  and i mean really watch it. closely. notice how fast the sun fades once the it starts to dip below the horizon. be fully present in the moment, just you and the falling sun. take your time, don’t leave as soon as the sun is fully down, wait a few moments in that still silence.

create calm
build in moments of peace.

• bake an august treat
  much like how everyone deserves a treat on sundays, everyone also deserves a treat in august. look up what produce is in season in your area, and hit up a fruit stand or farmers market to get a few things to add to your baking. here its: blueberries and raspberries in early august, and peaches start to become available in late august.

• meditate by the water
  even if you don’t think you like to meditate, i really think you should try it out. find a quiet place off the beaten path where you can sit by yourself, shut your eyes and just be. i used to not really like meditating, and i still don’t do it enough, but when i take the time to, i love how it makes me feel. i never feel as present with myself as i do when i meditate, it feels like hanging out with my own mind. let the sound of the water lull you into a relaxed state, taking your worries out to sea with each passing wave.

• have a true lazy day
  might seem antithetical to really soaking up the summer, but i think one of the best parts of summer is the relaxed pace it seems to have. take a day, clear your schedule, and don’t even bother making a to-do list. let the day hold nothing but reading, movies, some time sitting in the garden doing nothing.

• have a late summer brunch
  it doesn’t have to be a big and extravagant hosted meal, it could even be a solo breakfast. make pancakes and bacon, pour a mimosa, and savour these summer mornings while we have them. take your time making and plating the food, and sit and eat with no distractions aside from a gentle playlist and good conversation if you have someone with you. let breakfast stretch into the early afternoon.

get excited
indulge in a little autumnal anticipation.

• go out for the first pumpkin spice latte
  i know it’s early (thought not really for me, i’ve been making at home psl’s since july 2nd), but the starbucks fall menu returns august 22nd this year. i love going out to get a pumpkin spice latte on the first day they become available, i’ve done it every single year the past like… 10? years. maybe more. i’m a fall girl at heart, and though it’s still summer, that first true taste of autumn is always welcome.

• have a fall shopping day
  if you’re not early, you’re late when it comes to seasonal shopping. retail operates a full season ahead, and seems to get earlier and earlier every year. seeing the shelves covered with pumpkins and orange invigorates me in a way not much else does. you don’t even have to buy much, or anything, but going around the shops getting excited about the season to come is always fun.

• put up a few subtle fall decorations
  if you’re not ready to release the summer just yet, thats okay… but i am. i don’t want to go full on decorating until september, but by late august, i simply can’t help myself. the fall goes so quick, i’d feel like i was missing out if it didn’t bleed into august. i know technically fall is mid-late september until mid-late december, but i’m a tree up on november 1st girl, so my fall is mid-late august until october 31st.

• the first autumn move night (& fall watchlist)

  curate your autumn watchlist of must see movies and shows, and then kick off a little early with the first fall movie night. for me, my go to first fall movie is always halloweentown. ever since i was a kid first watching that movie when it played on the family channel (canadian disney) each year, it’s always been a comfort that transports me right into fall, no matter if its still 30 degrees and sunny outside.

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written between the lines — journal prompts for august
some inspiration to write about

1. what could you to do this month to look back and feel like you really savoured the summer?

2. what does august feel like to you? be as abstract as you want.

3. what moment will you think back on from this summer during cold winter nights?

4. take your journal outside and record field notes on the most late summer things you notice.

5. what is august’s colour palette?

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a list of celebration-worthy dates in august…

lughnasadh — august 1st
a traditional gaelic festival that marks the beginning of harvest season. i love noticing and celebrating old traditions, they always feel so in tune with the seasons and nature. i write more about old holidays and lore in the homebody club monthly posts.

natal day — august 3rd
across most of canada august 3rd is a holiday with a different name depending on the province. here in nova scotia, it’s natal day. whatever it’s called, it’s worth celebrating if nothing else because it’s a day off in the summer.

international beer day — august 7th
i’m personally not a drinker, but my husband loves a nice cold beer every now and then especially in the summer, and there are some really delicious non-alcoholic ones as well! take this day as your invitation to head to a local pub for a pint.

us tennis open — august 24th
the us tennis open starts on august 24th. while i’m not a big sports watching girl, i do love tennis and honestly tuning in just for some background noise feels like summer.

national dog day — august 26th
obviously no need to explain why this is a great day to celebrate. we don’t have a puppy yet, but it’s a perfect day to go walk in a park and pet as many dogs as you can! (of course ask permission first).

the full sturgeon moon — august 28th
as a bit of a woo-woo girl, i’ve always loved paying special attention to the full moons. perfect resetting, manifesting, talking to the moon and whispering your wishes to her. just another way to really notice the time before it slips by.

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the magic faraway tree — august 21st | 🎬
i mentioned this one in my march post, but it comes out in north america this month. based on the popular children’s book, this movie looks like pure whimsy.

the end of oak street — august 14th | 🎬
a sci-fi/adventure survival movie that follows a family who starts to notice unusual happenings in their neighbourhood that involve the appearance of prehistoric creatures.

teenage sex and death at camp miasma — august 14th | 🎬
this one is a comedy-horror about a young director who is making a remake of a horror movie franchise: camp miasma. this feels sure to be an interesting watch.

my brilliant career (netflix) — august 13th | 📺
my brilliant career is a period tv series based on the 1901 australian novel by miles franklin. it follows sybylla melvyn, an independent and creative young woman growing up in rural australia during the late 1890s, who wants to be a writer instead of a homemaker which was the expectation of women in her time.

the last house (netflix) — august 7th | 🎬
in the last house, a family of 4 are suddenly sealed inside their home with no way out, and must work together to survive against both their dwindling resources and the mysterious, looming threat that is keeping them trapped.

dark matter season 2 (apple tv) — august 28th | 📺
season two of the series based on the novel of the same name by blake crouch. this series is a sci-fi/thriller that follows a professor who is abducted into an alternate version of his life, and he embarks on a journey trying to get back to this true family.

comfort films for late summer nostalgia:

• it takes two (1995) — basically the parent trap in a different font… but dare i say i actually like it more? okay it’s hard to pick, but this movie is so nostalgic and summer coded. two ‘identical strangers’ meet accidentally and decide to swap places over the summer.

• practical magic (1998) — the perfect summer into fall movie. two witch sisters dealing with a family curse where any man who falls in love with them dies. must have while watching: midnight margaritas.

• glass onion: a knives out mystery (2022) — a murder mystery set on a luxurious greek island. the perfect combo of summer sun and something darker. i can’t get enough of daniel craig and benoit blanc.

• footloose (1984) — could be because this always seems to play at local outdoor movies or drive ins towards the end of summer, but footloose always feels like a perfect late summer movie. a rebellious teen moves to a small town where dancing is banned and challenges the strict rules holding the community back.

• moonrise kingdom (2012) — you can’t go wrong with wes anderson if you’re looking for an aesthetic comfort watch that really leans into the beauty and feel of a season. moonrise kingdom is set in new england in the summer, following 2 12-year-olds who run away together on a small island. as the community searches for them, their adventure becomes a charming story about first love, belonging, and growing up. i will say it feels like not much really happens in this movie, but it’s so aesthetically pleasing its great to watch in the summer.

• halloweentown (1998) — a little pre-autumn watch, because no movie is as cozy as this one. this is the movie i have watched every year since i was a kid to get in the fall mood. a regular girl finds out she’s a witch and travels to halloweentown to fight a dark force with her grandma.

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books to add to your (ever evolving) tbr:

the unknown by riley sager — august 4
a struggling actress lands a career-changing role in a film about five women who mysteriously vanished from a remote vermont island in 1926. when the cast becomes stranded on the same island and people begin disappearing again, she must uncover the truth behind the century-old mystery before history repeats itself.

kitten by stacey yu — august 4
fresh out of college and uncertain about her future, katie finds unexpected comfort in her wealthy boyfriend’s childhood cat, silver, whose carefree life becomes an obsession. as her bond with the cat deepens, her relationships begin to unravel, forcing katie to confront what she truly wants from her life—and what it might cost her.

back for blood: never whistle at night part II (anthology, multiple authors) — august 18th
21 new horror stories by Indigenous authors, blending supernatural terror with the real-life horrors of colonialism. from psychological suspense to gruesome monster hunts, the collection celebrates Indigenous resilience through chilling, unforgettable storytelling.

big little truths by liane moriarty — august 25
ten years after the events of big little lies, madeline, celeste, jane, renata, and bonnie are navigating the challenges of raising teenagers when a severed finger arrives at the local high school. as unsettling events unfold, long-buried secrets resurface, forcing the women to confront the consequences of the truths they've kept hidden.

halloween town by joss wood — august 13
after fleeing her own wedding, poppy returns to the halloween-obsessed small town where she grew up—only to find her grandparents' inn owned by her ex-fiancé’s brooding older brother. as old feelings and new sparks emerge, she discovers that falling in love may be the scariest part of coming home.

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i think august contains multitudes. it’s the best summer has to offer, like a final glowing send off before it’s gone for another year. a month of autumn excitement if you’re a fall lover like me, but also a month of salt air, warmth on your skin, and the feeling that you could stay here forever.

as august falls over us, this final month of summer let this post be your reminder to not blink. to not let august pass you by in a blur. to really soak up the beauty of the summer while we still have it held carefully in our grasp.

with love, kyla

ps. what’s on your end of summer bucket list?

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