July was apparently the month of buying second-hand things, starting new creative projects and finding increasingly specific little treats to make winter feel less bleak.
There were op-shop books I fully intended to read, an alarming number of Vinted parcels, plenty of dumplings and another Olivia taking over my headphones.
Here are a few things that did a lot of the heavy lifting for me this month.
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in my ears & on my bookshelf
Olivia Rodrigo’s new album
Yes, I know. Two Olivia references in two monthly favourites posts in a row.
This was not intentional, but apparently I can’t get enough.
I’ve had You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love playing constantly this month. It has been the soundtrack to driving, cleaning, working on blog things and generally pretending I’m in a much more dramatic coming-of-age film than the one where I’m actually unloading groceries and doing the school run.
Every album she makes just gets better in my eyes: more mature, more atmospheric, slightly “edgier” and less standard bubblegum pop. This album is so effortlessly-cool-girl, amplified infinitely by the Robert Smith of The Cure feature on “What’s Wrong With Me” (currently my fav track, but that is ever-changing).
Kids chapter books
I haven’t actually finished a book of my own this month.
I have, however, bought several from op shops and arranged them optimistically around the house, which is almost the same thing.
Most of my actual reading has been chapter books with my kids. They are currently obsessed with the Dragon Games series by Maddy Mara and have already made it to book three.
Are they the most gripping books that I – an adult – have ever personally read? No lol.
But the kids absolutely love them, and I love watching them become properly invested in a story. We’ve reached the very nice stage where bedtime books continue over several nights, there are characters and plots to remember, and begging we read just one more chapter.
“One more” does quite often turn into three, but I’m not complaining.
I’ll return to my intimidating, ever-growing TBR stack eventually. For now, this has been the better kind of reading anyway.
midyear motivation
reset podcasts
There’s something about reaching the halfway point of the year that makes me want to reassess absolutely everything.
My routines, goals, career, home, creative projects and occasionally my entire personality.
I’ve been listening to lots of mid-year reset podcasts while driving or tidying because they give me the feeling of getting my life together without requiring me to stop everything I’m doing, pull out a hectic spreadsheet and overhaul my entire life immediately.
One episode I particularly liked was ‘Mid-year Recalibration: Reset Your Mindset, Habits & Goals for 2026‘ from the In Her Power podcast, which you can listen to on Spotify here.
It felt motivating without drifting too far into the unrealistic “wake up at 5 am, drink celery juice and transform your entire life by Tuesday” territory.
The guided reflection portion prompted me to sit down and check how I’m tracking against the goals I set at the start of the year. I came away feeling much clearer on what still matters, what I had accidentally abandoned and where I want to put my energy for the rest of 2026.
on the table
Dumplings with homemade dipping sauce
Dumplings have been firmly in the dinner rotation at our house this month.
They’re quick, reliably good and require very little from me, which is already an excellent combination. But the real favourite has been the homemade dipping sauce I found in a TikTok recipe by @brendanpang.
I say “homemade” as though it involved any meaningful culinary skill. It was essentially a matter of mixing a bunch of ingredients in a bowl, but it made a packet of freezer dumplings feel considerably more impressive.
I’m not entirely sure it counts as a recipe when the main instruction is “stir,” but I will happily take the win.
You can find Brendan Pang’s dipping sauce recipe on TikTok here.
Blood orange Sodaly
My drink of the month has been the blood orange Sodaly.
It’s fizzy, slightly tart and feels a bit better for me than regular softdrinks. I’ve mostly been having one in the afternoon when I want a little treat but don’t necessarily need another coffee.
Blood orange is also one of those flavours that automatically sounds sophisticated, even when you’re drinking it straight from the can while standing in the kitchen.
Easily a repeat purchase.
the wildcard
Vinted finally coming to Australia
My wildcard favourite this month is Vinted finally arriving in Australia.
This has been both wonderful and financially dangerous.
I’ve managed to find Pokémon puzzles, soccer jerseys and kids’ clothes for under $10, along with several other things I absolutely would not have searched for had the app not placed them directly in front of me.
It has the same treasure-hunting feeling as op shopping, except I can do it from the couch and search for the exact size, character or strangely specific item my kids suddenly decide they need.
The prices have been genuinely good, particularly for books, kids’ clothes and toys that are still in great condition but have been outgrown or abandoned after approximately four minutes.
Of course, every individual purchase feels extremely responsible because it was “only $6.”
We will not be adding up those $6 purchases.
Still, I love that useful things are being passed on rather than sitting unused, and I’ve found some genuinely excellent bargains already.
And so that was July: dumplings, good music, second-hand treasures and enough creative plans to keep me occupied until approximately 2034.
What have you been loving lately?
Olivia x