Bonjour lecteurs! How was your Summer 2026? Sure, we are well into September now. But it was the new moon early this morning and I am reflecting while setting up intentions for the rest of the year. As always, August 2026 felt like a balancing act, working with Stanley at home. In between many adventures, my family came over from France for a few days and we also did a lot of extra learning. It was fantastique, but I was glad to go back to routines last week.
Happy Birthday!
As always, it started with a bang as I celebrated my birthday on the 1st of August. For the occasion, Grumpy Boyfriend booked a table at Port Lympne. Past 7pm, the whole zoo was quieter than usual and we paused by the house before our dinner.
What a treat! The team even surprised me with a small birthday cake, so it felt ever so spécial! What a beautiful night to remember. Plus, I got spoiled rotten too with beautiful make up and jewellery. Stanley even got me a capybara squishy for when I am stressed out, LOL. Was he trying to give me a hint?!
Just The Two Of Us
Last month, I spent more time than ever with Stanley. For a start, I took my mini me for a little escapade to the Great Northern Hotel, right by St Pancras. I want more adventures like this. It was so much fun to explore the Science Museum, Southbank, but also Covent Garden. Our room was so beautiful and I got to catch up with my old friend Emilie.
She came all the way from Spain and I had not seen her for years. So it was a real delight to see her and talk about where life took us. Our boys played together, talked Minecraft and other banter while we reminisced about our life in London in our twenties.
I loved sharing with her family all the cool places to see in town and it was lovely to take a day off to see a dear friend.
A Balancing Act
Summer can be a bit stressful as a freelancer. You never stop feeling guilty.
I struggled emotionally with the balancing work / life act. Sure, Stanley is now big enough to entertain himself. It’s not as demanding as the toddler stage par exemple.
But I did not want him to be on his computer all day long. Looking back, I probablement put extra pressure on myself more than anything else.
One minute, you feel guilty to work and the other, you feel bad that you are behind with deadlines…
Simple Moments
But we still enjoyed simple moments at home with a French picnic in the garden, reading books, watching TV together…
I also loved our local walks and just taking it slow at times. What did you do all Summer with your children? We went to Gran Canaria at the start of the summer holidays. So 6 weeks with him at home felt a bit much at times.
But I still made it to Rowhill Grange for a romantic spa break with Grumpy Boyfriend. It was so refreshing to just have adults time for 48 hours!
The Frenchies Are Coming!
My brother and my mum also came by for a few days, so it was a nice break to the summer routine.
I was eager to show them la région. So we spent a day in Rye, showing all the beauties that the medieval town has to offer.
Au menu that weekend, endless sushi and sweet treats for everyone.
Before heading back to France, we stopped by Lympne Castle for a Canadian TV show.
More sweet treats like candy floss later and the house was quiet again.
Last Week
We did a lot of decluttering and I am thinking about turning the spare room into an office / wardrobe. A new project to enjoy this autumn?
New blinds, new floors, new car… We’ve invested quite a bit into our home over the last few weeks. We’ve been talking about improving the house for a while, so it’s quite exciting.
We were also actively preparing for back to school and during the Bank Holiday weekend, we made it to London in Elephant & Castle. We attended a fun party with Cartoon Network.
Stanley had a blast playing retro games and I stopped by the charity shops for a bit of thrifting. It’s a new obsession I have, so be prepared to see more about it this year!
We also had a yummy afternoon tea at the DoubleTree By London Victoria.
August 2026 – Setting Up Intentions For The Rest of the Year
And just like that, the summer holidays were over. It’s so sad to see how the weather turned cold and meh so quickly. I was hoping that the start of September would be warmer.
I must admit, I secretly loved all the heatwave. I am very much a summer gal and I am thriving when it’s hot and sunny.
August 2026 was a powerful month. Sure, it was stressful at times and I gladly saw Stanley going back to school on the 2nd of September. But I still managed to achieve a lot. More importantly, I am looking forward to Autumn. I set up many intentions for the rest of the year and I am excited for what is ahead of us.
What projects do you have until the end of 2026?
Disclosure: This post might feature some sponsored content I recently published but it is merely a list of my highlights of the month! This a post where I share some reflections as a mum in the country and in London. I hope it will inspire you to get on more family adventures.
