I can't believe summer is over! School starts back for us on Monday. I think I'm ready, but I'm sure there's something I've missed.

It's been about a month since I did an outfit post, but July has been kind of all over the place for me. The first week I spent camping at the lake and took almost no pictures. Then the next two weeks I was driving back and forth for some classes in my non-traditional teacher certification program, and this past week was pre-planning, and other than for open house I didn't exactly dress up.

All that to say that this outfit roundup is pretty sparse for it to be covering the past month, but there are some teacher-approved outfits in here that would also work in a casual workplace.

Sizing: I'm 5'2" and weigh about 135 lbs. I typically wear size 6 or s/m in clothes and size 7 in shoes.

We're starting this off with a date-night look from the end of June. This dress has been in my closet since before the pandemic. I have not had a reason to wear it, so when my husband arranged a date night I seized the opportunity. The zipper is fully functional and the bust has padding built-in. The material is kinda stretchy but still structured. I'm wearing size medium.

I got my sandals on clearance last summer. I've linked to a similar pair by the same brand, but they're not as strappy and have a shorter heel.

I've been calling this my sunset dress. I don't actually remember what we did the day I wore this. It was at the beginning of the month, though. I've worn it again recently - last week for my school's open house - but with different shoes (I didn't feel like painting my toenails). The sandals I'm wearing here are a good neutral flat.

I felt very Brady Bunch wearing this, but when I saw these pants on the clearance rack at my local Cato's, I knew I had to have them. They're pull-on so no buttons or zippers, although they do have a really cute decorative button detail on the front. They still have a few sizes available online.

This blouse is so good, y'all. It's structured like a loose t-shirt but it's a lace pattern. It's also soft and stretchy and comes in a bunch of colors. I'm wearing the medium.

I wore this for my first day of the teacher certification classes. We had to dress professionally, following our school's dress code, and I felt like this struck the perfect balance between professional and showcasing my personality.

If you know me, then you know this is my favorite outfit formula. This skirt is one of my favorite styles. I have it in a bunch of colors and patterns. This one is a dark purple floral. The background is black, so I went with a plain black camisole layered under my vest. I'm sure at some point I'll wear the skirt with a graphic t-shirt and/or replace the vest with a jacket or my short-sleeve chambray button-up.

Simple outfits are sometimes the best outfits, don't you think? There's just something so clean and classic about black and white. My jeans are super old, but I'm pretty sure the ones I linked to are the same style (they're definitely the same brand). You can't tell from the picture, but my blouse has a lace-like texture to it. It's loose and flowy and has the perfect amount of stretch.

These sneakers have become a favorite. I love the zipper detail on them so much. I've been wearing them so much lately. Sadly, I can't find a truly similar pair. The ones I've linked to are close but they're leather instead of canvas.

These striped linen pants are one of the oldest pair in my closet. I've shared them on the blog a few times before, but this Swiss dot blouse is a new combination for me. It was a complete coincidence that the color was a perfect match to the stripes, but I love it. I also like that it's a very subtle form of print mixing. Like I said, my pants are old, but there's a similar pair at Old Navy, which I've linked to. The only thing is that they're more blue than white, but still cute!

Happy Sunday, friends. The last two weeks have flown by at the same time that they have drug out.

I completed the two-week 'training' for my non-traditional teacher certification course. It was a lot and only the beginning in terms of the work required. I will, however, be taking the next week off from that as I get through pre-planning before school starts. The only thing I've done in my classroom is get my desks set up, and with the exception of one day I'll have something to attend every day next week.

I've got less than two weeks until I take my content tests. Yes, plural. I have to pass two. I've gotten through about half of the study guide I bought, so you know what will be occupying a good bit of my 'free time' over the next 14 days. Everybody keeps telling me I'll be fine, but it doesn't make it any less nerve-wracking.

Other than that, there's not much that's been happening, so that's going to do it for me. I've got laundry to do and a kitchen to get back in order. I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your weekend and a good week!

I can't believe that summer is almost over. It feels like no time at all has passed. Like I blinked on the last day of school and somehow fast-forwarded to the first day! Okay, okay, so it's not actually the first day of school yet. We've got about two weeks left before that happens, but we all know those two weeks will not be long enough.

Anyway, this summer has been different than my last 15-ish summers. This is the first summer of my professional life that I've been 100-percent off, which is weird. I don't know how to not be productive in some way, so I've spent time every week working on this new curriculum that my school is implementing. I've also been trying to prepare for my content test at the beginning of August.

It's not been all work and no play, however. I've done a ton of reading, we've been to the lake a few times, visited our local water park, and gone to the movies. I have not gotten caught up on laundry or stayed on top of housework. I have slept in (until my classes started last week) and feel pretty rested.

It's been several months since I did a favorite products post, and this one was surprisingly difficult to put together. I think it's because this has been such an atypical summer for me. I've felt almost adrift with no daily, weekly, or even monthly deadlines to adhere to. I've not tried any new products, and I haven't bought much in the way of anything really. But there are some things that I've used more than others since school let out.

Tan Espadrille Sandals - These have been my go-to shoes ever since the weather turned warm. They are amazingly comfortable and ridiculously versatile.

Honest 2-in-1 Extreme Length Mascara + Primer - This came in one of my FabFitFun boxes, but you can find it almost anywhere. I love the length this gives my lashes. It doesn't clump or smudge, which was my issue with the last mascara I tried.

Clio Palm Perfect Bikini Trimmer - Shaving is a real pain when you have sensitive skin, but swimsuit season is here. I got this trimmer with the hopes it would be gentle, and so far so good.

Billboard Wireless Headphones - I mentioned at the beginning of this post that I've been doing homework, part of which included watching videos. I got these headphones for $10 at the Dollar Store and so far they've worked fine. I'm not expecting them to last forever, but they're nicely padded and the ear muffs are large enough to fit around my ears comfortably.

Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer - I'm fairly certain this moisturizer has made the list at least once, but it is the moisturizer I keep going back to time and again. I like the texture; I like that it goes on smoothly and works well with my makeup; and I like that it has sunscreen in it.

Unite 7 Second Leave-In Conditioner - This is a fairly new-to-me detangling leave-in. It came in a FabFitFun box. I primarily was using this for my daughter's hair. She loves the way it smells (she says it smells like bananas), and it really does help make it easier to get tangles out in about 7 seconds. I recently started using it on my just-washed hair as a leave-in, sometimes with other products, sometimes by itself.

Airspun Loose Face Powder - I don't wear powder often because it tends to make me itchy. It's probably the talc, but this loose powder is talc-free and so far since using it I haven't had any issues.

Study.com - I'm getting ready to take my content tests for my teaching certification. As a non-education major, I don't really have anything at my disposal to help me prepare. Generally speaking, I'm pretty confident in my knowledge of my subject matter, but it's been years since I took a test, so I'm nervous. This study course has a ton of resources, and I'm finding it a really helpful refresher.

Wow, I read a lot in June. Way more than I anticipated, actually. That said, three of the things I read were school-related. I had quite a few that I would consider flubs. Everything I included on this list, I finished, but most of the series I decided not to continue. Anyway, I've left you waiting on this reading roundup post for long enough already. Let's get started.

Author: Agatha Christie

This is on the suggested paired readings for the new curriculum my school is implementing next year. I'm a pretty big Agatha Christie fan, but this is one I had not read before. It's not very long, and I found the structure to be a bit odd. Each chapter is divided into multiple parts, which I could understand if each part was from a different character's viewpoint, but that's not always the case and it got a tad confusing, especially since she didn't always identify whose thoughts you were privy to at the time. It was 100% intentional on Christie's part, but it made figuring out who did it even more difficult.

The premise of the book is this: ten people are invited to the mysterious Soldier Island, which has been in the headlines recently over the mystery of who purchased it. The guests include a governess-turned-secretary, a judge, a doctor, an elderly woman, etc. In other words, they come from all walks of life and social status. Their first night there, they are all accused of various murders and quickly deduce that they don't actually know the supposed hosts of the retreat. Hosts who aren't present, I might add. What follows is a series of deaths with seemingly no motive nor singular suspect. In fact, it's not revealed as part of the plot at all but rather with a letter from the killer that is inserted after the epilogue. I'm still not clear if the letter was actually found or delivered to investigators or is somewhere in the ether. In fact, I almost overlooked it. I read this on my Kindle and it automatically sent me to the review page before I'd even seen the letter!

Spark of Desire (Dragons in the Wind book 1)

Author: J. Kearston

Amara is a dragon shifter who can't shift and who's running from the man that killed her family and took her prisoner. When a robbery gone wrong lands her in the hospital, Amara comes in contact with one of her three mark-mates. Determined not to get them involved in her problems, she keeps them at arms length until it's not possible. Eventually, her past catches up with her, but the book ends on a cliffhanger so no idea how it all plays out.

I did finish this book, and I do have the second book already downloaded. However, I haven't pulled the trigger on it yet, and I honestly don't know if I will. I didn't not like this book, but it didn't grip me either.

Turmoil (Elite of Elmwood Academy book 1)

Author: J.L. Weil

When Josie's mom remarries, she's forced to attend a prestigious academy against her will. To make matters worse, she discovers the guy she had a one-night stand with at her mom's wedding basically rules the school as the leader of the Elite, so her plan of never seeing him again goes out the window. Then throw her conniving stepbrother into the mix. He has it out for Josie and a grudge with the Elite, so they team up to bring him down.

Usually, these type of academy stories are like a guilty pleasure, but I found this one to be just a bit too cliché. Nothing felt new, and I just didn't feel drawn into the plot.

Author: John Fleischman

This is the first book my students will be reading this school year. It is an incredibly short nonfiction text - only four chapters! This is far from what I typically read, but it was very interesting, and I think my students will enjoy it.

Phineas Gage was a foreman for a railroad company in the early 1800s. He survived an accident that sent a tamping iron completely through his head, damaging part of his brain and altering his personality. The book examines the accident and its immediate aftermath, Phineas's life after he physically recovers, and the impact his case had and is still having on the field of brain science. 

Author: Sarah-Jayne Blakemore

This is the paired reading for Phineas Gage that my students will be doing this year. I only read the excerpts they will be reading. This text is definitely more of a technical read. It's very scientific, so it comes with a higher difficulty level, especially in terms of vocabulary. It specifically looks at how the brains of teenagers develop. The excerpts we'll read in class mostly focus on risk-taking. It's kind of interesting, I guess, but the language was incredibly scientific, and I'm worried that my students aren't going to connect with it.

Author: E.J. Lawson

I downloaded this because of a Facebook post, but I have to say it - Omegaverse is still not my thing. I did finish the book, though, and enjoyed the basic plot premise. Omegaverse is just odd to me, and I don't connect with the social hierarchy of the worlds.

Anyway, Riley is an omega living on her own trying to pass herself off as a beta because she doesn't want to burden anyone with her incurable disease. She's also got a bit of a traumatic past and has been mistreated by her own family. She succeeds at staying under the radar until a chance encounter with an alpha puts her on the radar of the local authorities. That alpha's pack takes her in to keep her from being assigned to an omega-less pack that might abuse her. Despite her attraction to the alphas, Riley is determined not to get too involved and to keep her sickness to herself. Pretty soon, though, she can't hide her condition, but it turns out one of her packmates' parents are the leading experts on her disease and have a good shot at saving her life.

Zodiac Binding (Zodiac Chronicles book 1)

Author: Arya Karin

This had an interesting concept, and I wanted to like it so much, but the execution just wasn't there for me. It was too much smut and not enough plot for me. Plus, I had a really hard time getting past the main female character's name, Karen. I mean, really? This book is new enough that I can't believe they went with that name!

Anyway, Karen is a half witch-half coyote shifter (who can't shift) who makes her living by lifting curses. Turns out, she is the ultimate curse breaker - the Thirteenth Zodiac. It's up to her to take on 12 mates, all from the different zodiac clans, in order to keep the supernatural world from descending into utter chaos.

I Dare You and The Fourth Guy (The Line Up 1-2)

Author: Misti Murphy

These were fun reads! I'm pairing them together because their timelines overlap. Basically all that changes is the focal couple and the main conflict of each.

In book one, Hayley is a former teen TV star who fell from grace after an incident at an awards show. Ever since, she's basically been living as a recluse to avoid being recognized and harassed. One day she gets a wrong-number text from a guy asking for advice on what to wear to his sister's wedding. The two become texting buddies without ever sharing their names. They unknowingly meet when Hayley's friend drags her out to a bar owned by the mystery texter, Callan. Despite their chemistry, Hayley and Callan don't hit it off at all, but their two best friends take it upon themselves to play matchmaker.

Book two focuses on the two best friends - Makai and Sadie. They claim they're just friends, but anyone with eyes can see that they're into each other. After a run of really bad luck with boyfriends, Sadie has sworn off dating. Makai, meanwhile, is waiting for the real thing, which is a hard thing to tell when you're a bachelor billionaire, something Sadie is unaware of but wouldn't impact her at all because she, too, is rich.

Fire & Smoke (The Red Masques 4)

Author: M. Sinclair

This was a nice installment in this series. We learn a lot more about what's happening and the ultimate goal of the plot is much clearer. However, I would have liked a bit more development in the plot. There was a lot of time devoted to the group building relationships, which was enjoyable but I felt like it was drawn out too much while the plot itself didn't advance all that much. Still, I'm invested in the story and want to see how it ends. That's about all I can say without spoiling the other books. Sorry!

Author: Bill Rivers

This was my One Woman Book Club pick, and it was so good. Thirteen-year-old Jack doesn't want his oldest brother, Pete, getting drafted and sent to Vietnam, so when his city-boy cousin, Frankie, comes to stay for the summer before Pete turns 18, they come up with a plan to turn Pete into a hero so he'll get to stay home. But that summer turns into much more than just saving Pete when the county tries to buy the Elliots' land out from under them to flood the valley. There's also the evolving relationships with the three brothers, one of the older brothers' crush on the preacher's daughter, a motorcycle gang causing trouble, and a neighbor boy who's disturbed.

This was such a good historical fiction novel. I loved the family dynamics, and I especially loved Pete (even though he was not the main character). Watching Jack grow over that summer and experience all of the confusing emotions of adolescence was so poignant, especially his fear for his older brother going to war.

Greed & Envy (The Damning 1-2)

Author: Katie May

I've been waiting for this series to be complete before I started reading it. Two books in, and I'm not sure if I'll continue. Parts of the plot are confusing, and I'm not as invested as I hoped to be.

Anyway, Z is an assassin and member of the resistance fighting against the Nightmares that rule her world. When she accidentally becomes a competitor in The Damning, a competition to choose the seven kings' next assassin, her mission becomes to take out said kings. What she doesn't count on is being the unlikely mate of the seven princes. Winning the competition is just the first step, though. Now, she must complete a task from each of the seven kings to keep her newfound position. Oh, and you can't forget the fact that she took a magical oath that won't allow her to harm anyone in the royal family.

Author: Amy Daws

This was a quick rom-com. Kate Smith is an author who's found herself with a serious case of writer's block that only clears when she's in the waiting room of a local mechanic's shop. So she keeps sneaking back in day after day, taking advantage of the complimentary coffee and pastries. Kate thinks she's gone unnoticed until she's called out by one of the mechanics, Miles. Despite their undeniable chemistry, neither are looking for anything serious. Kate just broke up with her boyfriend, who still technically lives with her, and Miles has some pretty serious baggage, but he agrees to help his new author friend out with her next book. Of course, it's never that simple.

Secrets in Her Eyes (The Sorcerer's Society 1)

Author: Lexie Scott

This has really good reviews, but this first book of the series fell flat for me. It moved so slow, it was practically glacial. Seriously, nothing happened until the very end, but other than a family revelation, it left way too much unsaid, so much so that I really can't tell you what this series is about other than a girl named Avalon moving to a new town with her dad, going to a co-ed school for the first time ever, and making friends in two rival groups. Based on the series title, there's some sort of magic aspect, but you don't see any of that in the first book other than a really vague reference to a car accident. I won't be continuing this one.

Author: Viyana Morrigan

This one has been on my TBR for an embarrassing amount of time. I love the idea behind this story, but there were some things I just couldn't get on board with. It's a time travel romance that isn't based on any actual history. Amethyst somehow travels into the past and lands smack dab in the middle of a peace treaty between two nations that have been at war for decades. She immediately is comfortable with everything, especially the four men at the center of the treaty, which I found incredibly unbelievable, as well as the fact that they decide to make her empress of their newly combined kingdom. I mean, I realize it's time travel but it all seemed to fall into place too easily. Then there's the opposition - the people in one kingdom who don't want the merger. They latch onto Amethyst and keep attacking her, even after they've been locked up. Each of her men are insanely powerful but can't keep these weaker ones away from their empress. She ends up hurt repeatedly, and as a reader that was incredibly frustrating.

Last month, I talked about my favorite products from my first year of teaching. Twelve things made the list, mostly storage and organizational items but also several programs that made planning so much easier.

Year two starts in less than a month, and if you know anything about me at all, then you'll know I've already been planning. Planning is like my default setting. I can't help it! I'd rather have a plan that has to change than no plan at all.

I use Amazon Lists for pretty much everything. With Prime Days this week and the start of school just around the corner, I decided to update my school wish list for this year and share it with you all.

Smart Board Clicker - This is at the top of my must-have list. The way my smart board is wired up the touch feature doesn't always work, and I don't have time to unplug and restart it every time this happens. Nor do I like being stuck at my desk, having to jerry-rig my laptop to plug directly into the board, or rely on a student to advance my slides. Plus, I like to be able to move around the room while I lecture.

Broom & Dustpan - I feel like I was the only teacher on my hall that didn't have one, and while our custodial staff is top notch, it'd be nice to have a way to sweep up paper, pencil and eraser shavings, and dirt/grass.

Easel Pad - Why are the big ones of these so expensive?! There were several times last year that I could have used one of these, but I just could not make myself spend the money.

Teacher Notes - You'll see several sticky notes on my list because you really can't have too many, but I really like this teacher notes pad. I am constantly making notes for myself about parents to contact, students to check on, etc. It'd be nice to have a dedicated pad just for that!

Computer Monitor Memo Board - Speaking of sticky notes, they can be easily misplaced amid regular desk clutter. This little gizmo gives you a place to stick them that's not on your desktop.

Rotating Pen/Pencil Holder - To be fair, I have a pencil/pen holder already, but it's an awkward size, and I don't really like it. This one is cute, fits my personality, and should easily fit not only my go-to pens but also expo markers and highlighters.

Hanging Files & Organizer - These were some of the best things I used last year for my students' writing, but they're not reusable so I need more. I decided to go with brighter colored folders this year. My box from last year is still usable but it's bent and kind of a pain in the butt.

Magazine File Holders - This year I've got a lot of student materials (workbooks, journals, etc.) to keep organized.

1 Subject Notebooks - I don't know how many I need yet since I don't have my rosters, but I'd like to have one per student to keep in my classroom if possible. This is a set of 25.

Reading Strips - I want a classroom set of these (30) to help with close reading assignments.

Paw Print Bulletin Boards - Okay, so these aren't technically a necessity, but our school mascot is the Bobcat, and we use paw prints for pretty much everything. I thought they'd be a nice little touch to hang up next to my desk.

Bulletin Board Clips - I need a better way to display student work. Last year I used these really cute mini-clothespin pins, but they were not sturdy at all and a lot them came apart. I hope these will hold up better.

Good Readers Poster - This is the first one of these I've seen that I liked. I've got a couple of places in my room where it will fit.

This isn't everything that's on my Amazon school wish list. There's also velcro dots, several pieces of bulletin board and classroom décor (some of it is very specific), and a variety of word games (they'd be nice to have on half days).

It feels like forever since I posted a Weekly Wisdom life update. The last one was all the way back in May, but in my defense, this summer has been unlike any other of my adult life. For the first time in more than a decade, I've truly had a summer break. Not just a week, but months. I honestly have not known what to do with myself.

I was talking with my mom about how I've never had this much time off at one time. I'm sure this will change as the years go by (at least I hope it does), but it's been very difficult for me to not work in some way. It's all I've ever known, and it feels weird to spend my weekdays not doing something productive.

My summer ends tomorrow. I have two weeks of training for my non-traditional teacher certification course then immediately start pre-planning. I take my content tests the following week which is also the first week of school.

So what has summer looked like so far?

-Learning a new curriculum and planning my first unit.

-Studying for my content test. It's been 15 years or so since I took a test!

-Homework for the course I'm starting next week.

-Lots and lots of reading! My June reading roundup is going to be packed with titles.

-A pool party for one of Alexis's besties.

-A few trips to the lake. Last week we were camping, hence no posts.

-A visit to Water World, our local water park.

-A bunch of trips to the hardware store (Chris has been putting in the floor of his building).

-Lots and lots of rain. Seriously.

I really haven't taken a lot of photos this summer, but here are the few that I have (If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, then you've already seen them).

I hope you're enjoying your summer!