Looking for more things I loved? You can browse every single one of my previous recommendations on the Things I Tried and Loved page.

This was a really busy August with plenty of hosting, long weekend trips, and planning for the fall season ahead. It was also a month with much less child care than usual and I’m really looking forward to more routine and structure now that September has arrived.

After the spending freeze, I feel much more connected to the things I’m bringing into my life, and the products below were all very thoughtfully selected. In this roundup of things I loved in August, there are a couple of cooking-related items, a deeply moving book, one makeup product, and a new pair of pants I’m quite enjoying wearing. Find all the details below!

These are the six things I loved most in August…

READ

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

$13

I think one of the harder truths of life is that we can’t try out all of the options available to us; we have to pick and choose and trust that we made the “right” choices along the way. This book explores that reality in such a thoughtful way.

The Midnight Library is about one woman who decides to end her life but then finds herself stuck between life and death, with the opportunity to try out different lives she could have lived had she made different decisions. The main character is a mirror for any of us who have ever felt like there’s been a true disappointment in life.

This book will likely make anyone who reads it think about life a little differently; it will mean something unique to each reader. When I finished the book I went to bed feeling a little more peaceful. I have a hunch I’ll come back to read the last couple of chapters a few times again in the future.

COOK

Colu Cooks: Easy Fancy Food by Colu Henry

$22

I made several recipes from this cookbook for a summer dinner party and love how everything came together! I love Colu’s writing style and how she organized the recipes throughout. Each section is really in tune with the way she (and many of us!) cooks in her everyday life. There’s a section on eating with your hands, one on feeding a crowd, and one on cooking on vacation (among many others). It’s all about pairing the right kind of recipe with each unique cooking occasion.

WEAR

Everlane The Relaxed Chino

$98

I was looking for a new pair of pants for fall and these caught my attention! Most of all, I love the slight balloon shape—tapered at the waist, barreled out along the leg, and tapered again at the ankles. I don’t have the most naturally defined waist and this silhouette looks really good on my body, particularly when I’m wearing a more fitted top.

These pants run true to size in my opinion although I did intentionally size up a little for a more relaxed fit. I purchased the dark khaki color and will likely buy them in another color too!

COLLECT

Papier Recipe Journal

$35

I have a lot of cookbooks I like, but there are select recipes within them that I particularly love and know I’ll want to revisit. Jotting those recipes down in this recipe journal is a way of easily collecting them all in one place. 

There are customization options available and I think this would make such a great gift! You could give it blank or even add a couple of personal recipes you know your giftee will love to have on hand.

HIGHLIGHT

RMS Beauty Master Radiance Base (gifted)

$36

This is a similar product to the Saie highlighter I shared recently, but this RMS Beauty highlighter is a thicker consistency and is super versatile. You can use it on its own as a very glowy moisturizer, mix it with foundation, or apply it as a highlighter on the cheekbones, bridge of the nose, inner corners of the eye, and cupid’s bow. This product is also really nourishing and includes a mix of hydrating oils in its ingredients list. Follain gifted several products to me recently and this one in particular stood out from the rest!

COOK

Toshiba Rice Cooker

$72

I wish I wouldn’t have waited so long to get this! While I can and have made rice in my Instant Pot, it never cooked exactly to my liking. I’ve used this rice cooker a number of times now and have never had a bad batch of rice come out of it. It also keeps the rice warm after cooking without any sticking, which makes for super easy cleanup. If you’re looking for an easier way to cook rice at home, I highly recommend this!

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Kate is currently learning to play the Ukulele, much to the despair of her husband, kids, and dogs. Follow her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.