September Intentions

Tomorrow is September 1!

Typically, I feel a little sad when summer starts winding down. There’s so much I love about summer here in the Midwest, and knowing that fall means winter is right around the corner always feels a bit daunting.

But this year, I’m realizing I don’t really mind the changing of the seasons! In fact, I’m finding myself excited for that first morning when I step outside and can feel fall in the air. I’m ready to start adding little touches of the season around our house (like these cute napkins I recently picked up) and lighting the fall-scented candles.

And beyond the changing season, I’ve always loved the fresh-start energy of September – the “other January,” if you will. That back-to-school feeling makes me want to clean out a closet and focus on routines. 

We were out of town this weekend for a friend’s baby shower (so much fun!!), and even after being gone for only 48 hours, it felt so good to walk in the door yesterday afternoon and be home with a normal week ahead of us. Maybe that’s adding to the feeling, but I’m very ready for a little reset.

Big things happening in September

+ My mom is coming to town! She arrives at the end of this week for the long weekend. Yay! It’s always so fun when she’s here, and I’m excited to have a few days together.

+ We’re getting one of our showers re-tiled. This has been on our house to-do list since we moved in, so we’re excited to get it done! I know there will be some inconveniences while it’s happening, but it will feel so good to have it checked off the list. 

+ Mostly at home. We don’t have any family travel planned for September, though Matt does have to travel a few days for work. I’ll have a few days of solo parenting while he’s gone, but otherwise, I’m looking forward to a month of normal weekends and lots of time at home.

September Intentions

+ Finish planning Ben’s first birthday party. Ben turns ONE on October 1! Party planning is underway, but there are still a handful of details to finalize over the next few weeks.

+ Finish Ben’s first-year photo album. I’ve been working on an album with photos from his first year, and I’d love to have it finished before his birthday.

+ Declutter five areas of our house. September has five weeks, so I’m giving myself one area to tackle each week: our pantry, Ben’s closet, my closet, the bathrooms and my office. Nothing too intense – just a good clean-out and reset.

+ Book our holiday travel. This is one of those things that takes a lot of decisions (flights, dates, logistics), but will feel good to have squared away before October. 

+ Keep up my early morning workouts. Lately, I’ve been in a good groove getting up early and doing a quick 20-minute workout video a few mornings a week. I feel really good after getting some solo time and after moving my body, so my goal for September is simply to keep it going!

And that’s my plan for September as of now! Looking at it all together, I’m feeling really excited for the month ahead.

What are you most looking forward to this September? 

Here’s to a fresh month!

Postscripts 

Thank you for the travel mantras last week!! I’m proud of how we handled the trip. The flight there was not ideal (delays, a fussy Ben, etc.), but we got through it. And the flight home was much smoother – Ben even slept for most of it! Overall, it was so worth it to make the trip (pics below!), and I’m really glad we went. A good reminder for me that traveling with a baby doesn’t have to go perfectly to be worth doing. 🙂

From the archives: September 2025 | September 2024 | September 2023| September 2022