This month was spent soaking in the last bit of summer and starting homeschool.

“I can’t remember all the times I tried to tell myself to hold on to these moments as they pass.”

Welcome to “Moments” here on JoyFoodSunshine. This is when I pause my usual recipe content, and take time to share our family’s favorite moments from the month!

Here are some highlights from August 2025!

Recipes I’m Making on Repeat

Here are some recipes I made for my family this month:

Cookie dough s’mores – check out this cute reel I made with my kiddos making them!

Chocolate chip cookies of course. I made one double batch and one quadruple batch to feed the volleyball team a couple times this month.

The BEST banana bread, and I even used brown butter. SO good.

Burrata salad. My favorite salad of all time. See this instagram video too!

Things I’m Loving

Here are my favorite things so far this summer! I’ve actually had a lot of fun sharing my favorite things both in and outside of the kitchen over on my shopmy storefront. A lot of these things are on sale right now because of Labor day (Jenni Kayne -20% off, McGee and Co. 30% off, etc).

• This vuori scoop dress is in the perfect color and is so comfy! I plan on wearing it under cardigans this fall!
• Cooler tote. I‘m packing a lot more meals these days going to and from sporting events with kids, so I purchased a new cooler tote and I really like it!
• These oven mitts! I’m replacing all my oven mitts in my kitchen when we move back in (when it’s finished) because all of mine are past their prime and I’m sick of burning my hands every time I bake! 😉 I love these oven mitts!
• I bought all my kids some form of adidas shoes for the fall! Click here to see all our favorites.
• This pair of “the serums” from Oak Essentials. These vitamin c and retinol serums are gentle on the face but deliver great results.
• This vase/pot is so cute! I put it on my open shelving in our piano room.
• It’s cardigan season and these are my two favorite cardigans: Audrey Cardigan and cotton cocoon cardigan.

NEW August Recipes!

Here’s a recap of the brand new recipes I shared this month! There were 5 weeks in August so there are a few more recipes than normal!

• Zucchini Banana Bread. two classic quick breads combine into one delicious loaf.
• Cherry Scones. So delicious with fresh cherries in every bite.
• Breakfast Burritos. I developed this after having the best breakfast burrito of my life in CA last year. They’re delicious and perfect for meal prep!
• Morning Glory Muffins. bakery-quality muffins that are full of nutritious ingredients!
• Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies because it’s almost baking season and you need to make these!
• Peanut Butter Granola Bars. homemade version of the nostalgic favorite. They’re so good.
• Pesto Pasta. I gave this old favorite a facelift with lots of helpful information and new photos.
• Pizza grilled cheese. the name says all you need to know. 😉
• Pear Smoothie. easy & delish!
  Chocolate Chip Waffles. make ahead and freeze for an easy back to school breakfast!
• Slow cooker meatballs. SO delicious & perfect for busy weeknights.

Snapshots

It’s September and I’m so sad summer is over. But, we had a great one. Mara won a special award at our swim team banquet. And most of our days looked like this photo below, so I’d say we were blessed!

A different school year for us….

This year our kids are in 3 different places for school. We enrolled Bethany in a private high school for her freshman year and she is absolutely thriving. She’s playing volleyball, acing all of her honors and AP classes, and making so many new friends.

I, on the other hand, am quietly (so I don’t make her first month in school at all about me) struggling through so many firsts as a mom. Even something as simple as her first away volleyball game was emotional for me because it was the first time she ever drove in a vehicle with someone I didn’t know behind the wheel! But it has been really good so far.

Gabe started 7th grade in the same homeschool co op as the rest of the kids, he just meets at a different location than us. He’s adjusting to the heavier workload but is loving it.

These 4 are with me at our usual co op! We’ve eased our way into school since the middle of August, but are in full swing now.

Here is a list of all the homeschool curriculum I use for these kids! Comment below if you have any questions.

Ritch “camped” with the kids on our deck one night this month. And miraculously everyone fell asleep right away and stayed asleep all night! Have we finally arrived at a place in life where camping is easy? I’m not quite sure I’m ready to find out in the actual wild just yet!

Otherwise I was pretty focused on school and our home renovation this month and had very little time for other things. Hoping September is a tad different! 🙂 How are you adjusting to back to school?

Don’t forget to leave a comment or ask a question, I love hearing from you!