Happy Wednesday, friends!
It’s time for this month’s LET’S LOOK!
If you don’t know what LET’S LOOK is, once a month, Erika and I do a little link up where we “look” at different aspects of our lives (and then if you blog, you share and link up too!). We have been doing this little linky party for years now, and it’s always one of my favorite posts each month because most of the topics are YOUR suggestions!
I’m particularly excited about today’s topic because it’s oh so SUMMERY.
But…before we get to that…
Just as a reminder, here’s what we have “looked at” in 2026 (all your suggestions!)…
In January, we looked at THINGS WE OUTSOURCE WITHOUT REGRET.
In February, we looked at WAYS WE’VE TURNED INTO OUR PARENTS.
In March, we looked at FAVORITE FAMILY VACATIONS.
In April, we looked at the HARDEST THINGS WE’VE EVER DONE.
In May, we looked at MAKING COUPLE FRIENDS.
In June, we looked at WHAT I’M MAKING MORE TIME FOR.
And today, we’re looking at “OUR SUMMER SELVES” (HOW’S IT DIFFERENT?).
I saw this meme and could not stop laughing.
This is Shay in Texas versus Shay in Massachusetts over the summer…
Bahahahahaha!
Yes. And Yes.
I have a feeling some of you who live up north could find a similar meme regarding winter. 😉
Okay, let’s be real here. For the last four years, “Shay in the summer” gets to live this sort of magical “fake” life. I mean, I’m working, my husband is working, I still do laundry, empty the dishwasher, take my kids to sports camps, pay my bills, vacuum the floors, get gas, grocery shop, pick up the dog poop…I just get to do it all while living in an Elin Hilderbrand novel. It’s magical, y’all.
That being said, just Monday afternoon, my office manager and I were on the phone about work and I could hear a kid or two fussing in the background at her house while at the same time, she could hear a kid juggling at my house while two other kids were telling said kid to stop juggling in front of the TV and she said “I can’t wait for school to start”, and I said “ME TOO”!
Summertime is WONDERFUL…but geez, there is a lot to be said about school time too. Amen. And AMEN.
So, my summer self has a lot to love, but please keep in mind, I could also do a post on my “school year self” and it would be equally as positive 😉 .
Here we go, LET’S LOOK AT MY “SUMMER SELF”…
#1: WELL, SHE EATS UP ALL OF THIS FAMILY TIME.
Without a doubt, this is my favorite part about the summer season. Whether we are in McKinney or Nantucket, my kids are just home more, and I LOVE THAT! During the school year, most days, three out of four kids have left for school by 6:15 AM, and it is easily 6:15 PM (if not later!) when they’re all four back at home. On top of that, they have evenings filled with (great!) things like church, YoungLife, participating and/or watching their school sports, etc.
We make a really, really big effort to eat dinner together every night during the school year, but outside of that, I just don’t see them as much…and I LOVE seeing them. Summertime means family time, and that is my very very favorite time. I promise I’m not going to spend the entire next year talking about “the lasts”, BUT this is the official “last” summer we have four kids in school. I have no idea what next summer will hold for our family, but I’ll have one kiddo about to leave for college and another about to start his senior year, so you better believe, I’M SOAKING UP FAMILY TIME.
#2: SHE ADORES ALL THE OUTSIDE TIME.
I love being outside.
I mean, I don’t want to go camping or anything (no thank you!), but I want to read outside, work outside, bike places, walk places, eat dinner on the patio, chat with neighbors on the porch, SAVOR ALL OF THE OUTSIDE TIME…and it’s really impossible to do that when the high is 107.
I am an “outside person”, and thus my happiness is often weather dependent…something that really crushes my soul when I’m in McKinney in August.
#3: SHE’S LESS STRUCTURED
I am such a structured person. Listen, it’s probably my greatest quality and my worst quality. You can ask my family, my friends, and my team…being extremely structured is how I move through this life. This time of year, my “summer self” gets to be less structured…which is a lovely way to be sometimes.
#4: SHE DOES NOT LOVE THE MOSQUITOES
My summer self has “why did you create mosquitoes” at the top of her “to do” list when she meets the Lord.
I mean but for real, like why?
#5: SHE LOVES THE RELAXED SCHEDULE
Maybe a little redundant but worth repeating…my schedule is just so much more relaxed this time of year. I live by a schedule and often, it’s packed pretty tight…but this time of year, there is breathing room. For instance, on Monday, our favorite band here on Nantucket was playing at 4:00. We had just seen them play the afternoon before, but thanks to a rainy Monday, I had plenty of time to get all of my work done, my household chores finished and when Andrew asked Smith and me if we wanted to go see them play again, I had time. My schedule was open. It is so nice to have room to breathe in my schedule. It’s something I need to incorporate more in my McKinney life.
#6: SHE GETS MORE SLEEP
Heck ya, I do! And I am loving every minute of it.
#7: SHE REACHES HER “END POINT” FASTER THAN MOST SEASONS
As much as I find joy and happiness in the summer, if I’m being 100% transparent, I do kind of get my fill of summer faster than I get my fill of the other seasons. I could have a fall that lasted all year long, I always enjoy a cozy winter, and I love so many things about spring…but by August when I’m back in McKinney, and it’s 108…I’m done. Done, done, DONE with summer.
#8: SHE HAS MORE FUN
I sure do. I try and be “fun” all the time, but I’m extra fun this time of year 🙂 .
#9: SHE HAS MUCH LESS ON HER TO DO LIST
So many things on my “to do” list are school related. I don’t know about where you live, but weekly, I get an email from each of my kids’ teachers. I typically get these emails Friday, Saturday or Sunday. I absolutely understand why they send out these weekly correspondences. This is how they communicate homework, testing, projects, supplies, expectations, field trips, etc with parents. These weekly emails are super important. I have four kids. They each have seven teachers. That means I get 28 emails over the weekend every single weekend of the school year. Those emails alone add so much “to do” to my list that for the love, it’s glorious this time of year to just have that stuff off my plate. Even reading those 28 emails takes so much time out of my weekend.
Side note, Andrew tells me all the time that if I die any time soon, he will miss me dearly and he WILL NOT read those emails. Bahahaha! I complain about said emails every weekend and he responds every single time with “I won’t read them”. Ha! You guys, if something happens to me, please please find someone to read these emails so my kids don’t miss field trips/have glue for history class/remember their math test/sign up for SAT tutoring/etc. I’m counting on you all. HE WILL DELETE THEM.
#10: SHE GETS ANNOYED THAT SCHOOL STARTS SO EARLY
Oh gosh, if I were in charge of things, the school year would end the Friday before Memorial Day and start back up the Tuesday after Labor Day. Why oh why oh why do us Texans send our kids back to school in early August?
I could get on my soapbox about this.
They send our kids back and then they don’t allow our kids to go to recess/go outside for PE/practice sports after school because it’s SO HOT. Yes. It’s so hot because it’s still SUMMER. Why are we in school during SUMMER?!
You guys, my “summer self” can get feisty over this topic. It’s ridiculous.
#11: SHE IS A LITTLE DIRTY
I’m biking, I’m walking, I’m at the beach, I’m outside…let’s be real, I’m not as clean as I am the other 9 months of the year.
#12: SHE LOVES THE “UNIFORM”
Shorts, tank tops, flip flops…repeat.
Yes, please.
Side note: I have been keeping track of my summer uniform in one spot HERE if you’re curious!
#13: SHE DOESN’T LOVE WORKING IN “CHUNKS”
I personally do not find working in “chunks” beneficial. I find it highly distracting and less productive. I love to sit down and work in long blocks of time. Being a mom working from home with four kids makes this impossible. I have an entire post on WORKING FROM HOME {SUMMER EDITION} where you can read my thoughts, opinions, tips and tricks…but for me personally, the summer season is the hardest for me when it comes to working. I don’t work any less…I just work in these weird chunks of time that I do not enjoy.
#14: SHE EATS OUT MORE
In McKinney, this is not true, but on Nantucket…it’s very true. The restaurant scene is just such a huge part of the summer culture here that we do eat out way more this time of year than the school year. This week, we’ve eaten dinner at home two out of the last four days (so it’s not every single day), but it’s more than at home. It is what it is…all six Shulls love the restaurants, the food, the ambiance…and thus, we eat out more here than the other nine months of the year.
#15: SHE EATS MORE PRODUCE
September through May, I’m just not eating that many fruits and vegetables. I’m eating a lot of protein…and I’ve really been trying to include more fiber in my diet through veggies…but that’s something I have to “try” and do. During the summer though? I’m easily eating more fruits and veggies. Everything just looks and tastes better this time of year. It’s so simple to include more produce in my diet right now.
#16: SHE CARES LESS
So many of the stresses and concerns I have in my “normal” school year life just don’t matter much this time of year. I care a lot less about a lot of things. It’s quite freeing.
#17: SHE ALREADY THINKS ABOUT HER FALL SELF
Because it’s who I am.
My “summer self” is already excited and eager to transition into her “fall self” because that’s her FAVORITE version of herself 😉 .
Those are 17 little things about MY “SUMMER SELF” (AND HOW IT’S DIFFERENT).
Next time on Let’s Look, we are going to look at…
…THINGS WE MISS.
Hmmmmm…interesting.
Alrighty, I want to know about YOUR SUMMER SELVES! How are YOU different this time of year? Please comment and share!
Don’t forget, if you blogged along with us today, please make sure you link up below.
Have the best Wednesday, friends!
I’ll see you tomorrow. xx
Emilee says
YES to school starting so early! I’m in Iowa and we can’t start school until after the state fair, which is about mid-August, but it is always still just so darn hot. I’ll take coming back to school after Labor Day, please.
Laura Fuller says
I’m with you! I love the relaxed schedule/routine of Summer. Now that my kids are all young adults and doing their own things, it’s just the same as every other season. Except here in NC it is already unbearably HOT. Thankfully, we are getting a rain shower most afternoons to help lower the temps. Geez.
Stacy says
Love this. And as a kdg teacher in Ga, can I say AMEN and Ditto to your school schedule (begin after Labor Day and end before Memorial Day)?
Enjoy your summer!
Natasha says
My summer self says YES! a lot more. Also, she doesn’t like the heat as much as she thinks she will when’s it’s frigid in January.
Our schools don’t start until after Labour Day but we don’t get out until the end of June. There are trade offs.
Elspeth Mizner says
I love linking up once a month! I’m way more relaxed, have a much more open schedule and try to spend as much time outside as possible! Happy July!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Emily says
I saw something a while back that said “I’m
not outdoorsy, I’m outsidey” and I think that applies to me! I’m not into backpacking or camping, but I do enjoy eating lunch outside on the patio 🙂
Mix and Match Mama says
I will remember this FOREVER!!!!
Sheaffer says
My summer self never wants the school year to start back. Especially this year. Now I’m going to sit here and bawl. Kidding. Kind of.
A A says
Such a sweet mom! Your posts about Connor are my favorites. ❤️
SS says
Shay,
We are outside people too. I love our little garden with fresh veggies, our state has loads of different fruits… blueberries right now and raspberries, but dang it has been sooo HOT! This northerner is not meant for 90 plus days and hear indexes in the 100s. Has it been hot on Nantucket or does the ocean keep ya cool?
Right now when it does cool off on the evening card playing with our kiddo is the BEST or cruises to see tht beautiful sunsets.
Mix and Match Mama says
It has been gorgeous! We had our first “hot” day which was 85…that’s cold compared to my beloved Texas’ heat right now 😉 . The part I love the most is that even when it gets up to 85, it cools off at night and in the morning. In Texas, it “cools” down to 93 which is still so so hot!
Kristy says
#7 I feel you! I was walking with my husband yesterday and told him that I have already had enough of summer. I am craving fall. I am so ready for cooler weather, football, comfort food, decorations… I am ready.
Lisa D says
My summer self is up early and out walking in the cool mornings before it gets so hot in the Colorado high-altitude desert where I live. Summer means pool time, inside activities and reading time, and travel to cooler places 😊 Because of the heat, summer is not my favorite time of year. But I do love summer casual clothing!
Christy says
Amen to #17 😂 I can smell the pumpkin spice already
Mix and Match Mama says
You are in the right place. Bahahaha!
Ashley says
This was such a fun prompt, Shay! Summer is my favorite season, and I agree with you about it being so much easier to eat fresh fruits and veggies. I also giggled at thinking about your fall self! A local bakery is having pumpkin spice items this week and it already has me excited, haha!
Wishing you a wonderful day! 🙂
Mix and Match Mama says
I would be excited about that too!!!
Laci Murray says
#10 is what I want to scream!!!!! WHY?????? WHY DO WE GO TO SCHOOL WHEN IT’S 100 DEGREES??
Mix and Match Mama says
WHY?! WHY?! WHY?!
Faith Kapp says
I work at a school so my schedule is very relaxed in the summer 😅 I also have adult children so I am very, very relaxed. North Carolina also goes back early August. I. Just. Do. Not. Get. It. Summer fruits and veggies are just superior. I could live on those alone. Soak up all the family time for sure!!
Lily says
Whoa! We are also in NC, but in the Triangle we never go back until the last week of August, usually around the 24th or 25th. I’ve always been told that we go back later in NC because of tourism/realty lobbying — they want to keep the beach vacations active as long as possible. Funny that your county goes back August 1!
lee ann vicary says
Totally off topic – Are you doing a post on the Nordstrom Sale this year? You and Sheaffer Told Me Too make sure I get at least some of the things I truely NEED. I can look online and through that great catalog they mail out but nothing gets me clicking faster than you girls. I know that there isn’t a Nordstrom right there but I still need help please.
Mix and Match Mama says
I am!
Emma says
I would love if you did a Shay’s Ways on balancing kids summer school sports & getting to spend this special time away with your kids! I am on the struggle bus and could use any tips. Haha! I have a rising Senior that plays football and a middle school cheerleader. Their summer schedules are bonkers! Between workouts & practices (that are technically not “mandatory”, but everyone is there), position meetings, team bonding events, cheer fundraisers, team choreography, I feel like we have something every other day. Just trying to line up a few days for the 4th during their dead week, was like an act of congress. How do you do it and get to spend an entire month?!?! Do you just tell the coaches sorry, family time is more important? How do you handle your kids emotions missing team events (my kids would have a complete meltdown!)? Does your school sports just not get together any the month before the season starts? I feel like my wheels are falling off daily and you seem to have it all together. Please share your ways! You seem to do such a good job balancing!
Mix and Match Mama says
I think Texas is way more regulated when it comes to this stuff because we’re pretty insane about youth sports and need someone to tell us when to quit. We are governed by a state agency called the UIL. With each sport, coaches are limited to the number of days they can practice, for example, Smith can’t start football until August 12-ish (it’s somewhere around there). Cheer in our district is all year long and a class in school, so our cheerleaders get all of that stuff done during the school year. They have a camp at the end of May and then go back to get ready for the school year at the end of July which gives them a pretty nice long break. Our fundraisers and such happen during the school year. Our cheer coaches enjoy their summer breaks too. I’ve never had to tell a coach my kid won’t be there because there just isn’t any place for them to be. Of course, if your kiddo plays a ton of select sports, that can be different. We’ve done that before, but currently, we don’t have any kids in any outside select sports.
Shelby says
Wow! I don’t live in Texas, but teachers do not email that much on the weekend here. Enjoy the rest of summer!
Sara says
Move to Minnesota! My kiddos last day of school was May 28 and they go back September 10 this fall (always the Thursday after Labor Day!).
Mix and Match Mama says
Sign me up for this! Which adorable town will I be moving to? Please boss me around. 😉
Suzanne Douglass says
I agree with SO many off of your summer self list! As a teacher and a parent, I am glad to bot have to send emails or read all of them! One of my favorite summer self things is no makeup or blow drying my hair!
Mix and Match Mama says
I am reading this comment with air dried hair! It’s the best!!
Dawn Scheurich says
I couldn’t agree more with you about mosquitoes, but also ticks!! They are a parasite! And yes, for the love, why are kids going to school in summer?!
I am an empty nester, so I don’t really have a much different schedule but I LOVE SUMMER and just feel more carefree and spontaneous than other seasons! Side note—I am NOT really ever a spontaneous person but in summer, I can be (with a tiny bit of notice)-haha!
Mix and Match Mama says
that last sentence…so me!!!
Gail Young says
I’m backtracking here to January ‘Let’s Look’…..I think I remember that you dont especially like wrapping all of the Christmas presents and wondering if you have outsourced that? Maybe using a college student or old babysitters. I have friends that outsource that and they say that it helps to bring all of the JOY back into the Holiday season!
Thanks to you Shay, my summer self has fallen in love again with making freezer jam! It brings a taste of summer to our house on the darkest days of winter! And now my grandkids love to make it with me……win/win!
My summer self loves to sleep with the windows open and wake up to the sound of birds. Such a great way to start the day.
We entertain a lot more in summer, out on the patio or at least inside with all the windows open.
Mix and Match Mama says
Wrapping gifts overwhelms me, so I have to create a routine that helps make it more enjoyable (coffee and a good Christmas movie). I’ve never outsourced it because it feels so personal…and I’m way too type-A/micromanager. Ha! I love that you are loving jam making again! I love it too!!
Priscilla says
Do you have a link or model number/style of your bike?
Mix and Match Mama says
Oh gosh, I don’t. I bought it at a bike shop, so I didn’t order it online.
Beth Valenta says
Summer means reading longer, not having to pack lunches, morning coffee with friends, meeting for drinks whenever to catch up, and sleeping…oh the luxury of no worrying about the time (being out of school for summer). But it has been so darn HOT here in VA that I went to Bath and Body and bought a pumplin pecan waffle candle to light. I am waiting for all things FALL and the joy of being cool in a cute sweater and watching football.
Cecilia says
I can understand your middle school and HS kiddos having multiple teachers emailing you. But Madeley had 7 teachers in 5th grade??
Laurie R says
I’m a Minnesota lake girl. Love being at the lake. No, to heat & humidity. If I have to deal with those give me ac or bring me to the lake. Secret to mosquitos…spray spray spray!!! We spray at the family cabin & we don’t have them. Minnesota state bird is the mosquitos. I do love the winter too. You can add clothes if you are cold but you can only take so many clothes off in the summer…scare off the neighbors!!! Lake is my happy place.
Ruby Huling says
We are vacationing at Miramar Beach this week and my summer self is already dreading school starting on August 6th! And, I just checked my email and had a school supply list that I will deal with another day! Summer goes by way too fast for me!
Debra says
Summer me is:
Spending time at farmers markets and U-pick farms for fresh veggies, fruits, flowers – so much fresher/better than what we get at the grocery store.
Making freezer jam and refrigerator pickles.
Entertaining in the backyard rather than inside.
Hiking, up into the mountains to fly fish and pick wild blueberries.
Making fresher, lighter meals.
Evening walks after dinner.
More nights outside in the evenings with neighbors visiting.
Road trips to the mountain or ocean – a few nights away is always a good thing, but especially in the summer.
Mix and Match Mama says
I want to make refrigerator pickles too! That was something I did a million years ago, and I would love to do it again.
Debra says
You should make them again! My husband loves the pickles so much – I do too and so do our friends and family. So easy, so fun to make and to share with friends, neighbors, family!
Tish says
Summer is for sun, eating on the patio, reading under a tree, all life’s simple pleasures! I LOVE summer! However, I feel like I get the LEAST amount of sleep during summer with teenagers. Tell me your tricks and tips, Shay! I am a morning person and want to be up at 5:30am but my kids want to stay up late and if they ask to watch a movie or play a board game, I just can’t say no! We only have one more year together (also a senior mom here!) Do your older kiddos just know mom is out early to bed or do you change your sleep schedule to accommodate their nocturnal lives? haha!
Mix and Match Mama says
Ashby is currently my most nocturnal kiddo, but she wakes up every morning by 9:00 to run for cross country, so even she is going to bed earlier. I would say that the other three are in bed by 10:00ish or so, so I don’t feel like I’m missing much when I’m heading to bed by 9:00 or 9:30. I think all of that “getting up early” during the school year has made them all a bit more early to bed, early to rise.
A A says
Have you read any Cal Newport? He has written a lot about having uninterrupted long chunks of focused time for work —including a book called “Deep Work,” and even has a book called “A World without Email.” I think you would like him!
Amanda says
Ok…28 emails a week? No way. What is up with that? I have four kiddos. In three different schools. Not one of their teachers sends out an email once a week. Nor do they work on the weekends. Is this a Texas thing?
Mix and Match Mama says
You don’t get weekly emails from your kids’ teachers? We do (across three different school districts both private and public). I absolutely understand why they do it as there is a lot for them to share with parents each week…but it absolutely adds up. They all do it at the end of the week to get us prepared for the upcoming week…which means, they come out on Friday, Saturday or Sundays. How do they communicate with you?
Lily says
Same here….we get zero emails every week. Now, the apps on the other hand *eyeroll* (because they glitch half the time – I’d prefer emails, honestly!) – we do get messages via an app, but it’s not as regular as every Friday/weekend from every teacher. Mine just finished 2nd and 5th and communication has never had that regularity. I’m shocked to hear that even middle and HIGH school teachers are sending weekly emails, that’s different than the “give your students more responsibility” we usually hear.
K.K. says
Love this… I said “Amen!” when I got to the mosquitos part… Yes, why, Lord?! I’m wondering if they popped up after “The Fall”… 😉
Amanda says
Nope. Never. Two of them are in high school and one in middle school and I never once got one from their teacher. What do they need to communicate to you that your teens can’t? I have never heard of such a thing. I really don’t get it for the high schoolers. Seems like it’s a bit of a hand holding type of thing.
If there are parent teacher conferences a notice will go out. But other than that…never.
I would probably pull my hair out if I got 28 emails each week. Haha.
Mix and Match Mama says
And just for the record, each principal (so four in total) sends one out too on Fridays with school related things. It’s so much communication.
Michelle says
I love this! I completely agree with you about the school calendar, and I am a teacher in Austin. I am dreading going back on Aug. 6 for teachers but already thinking about all the Fall things!
Mix and Match Mama says
That’s just too too early!
Beth Knecht says
Well yes, can you convince Ohio that we should get out of school around Memorial Day and start after Labor Day?! This starting in early August is getting old fast!
Mix and Match Mama says
SO OLD!
Nicole Klaver says
Okay, I am curious – with kids going to bed later, this is new to me! I love making sure everything is clean, tidy and the pillows are fluffed (totally normal, right? 😉)…when you go to bed before them, was this something you had to let go? What’s your bedtime routine with kids now?
Mix and Match Mama says
Oh I love that too! On school days, we all go to bed early because we all wake up so early, so I can do that stuff before bed. This time of year, I often do it when I first get up in the morning. I need my pillows fluffed and the sink empty before I can meet with Jesus. Ha!
Nicole Klaver says
Yes and Amen! We are the SAME. 😅
Whitney says
Canadian here… we send our kids after Labour Day, buttt they go until almost the end of June! It seems crazy to send them back in August, but what do I know 🙂
Christine Scully says
Just wanted to say that as a teacher, I send out those lovely newsletters on Monday morning. I try to plan out so that you already know things for that week the week before if that makes sense! No need to ruin everyone’s weekend with more to dos lol
jinjer says
Here you go!
Mosquitoes serve essential roles in the ecosystem as foundational food sources for fish, birds, and bats. Furthermore, as male mosquitoes consume plant nectar rather than blood, they act as important pollinators for numerous plant species, including certain orchids.
Ticks play a surprisingly vital role in ecosystems by serving as a food source for wildlife, regulating animal populations, and even providing medical research benefits.Specific ecological and scientific benefits of ticks include:Food Chain Link: Ticks are a primary or supplemental food source for various birds (like wild turkeys, chickens, and quails) and small mammals (such as opossums and certain rodents).Population Control: By targeting weaker or sick hosts and spreading diseases, ticks help regulate wildlife populations, which prevents overgrazing and the spread of other diseases.Medical Research: Tick saliva contains a complex cocktail of chemicals, including painkillers, anti-inflammatories, and anticoagulants, to help them feed unnoticed. Researchers are studying this “tick pharmacy” to develop advanced medications like anticoagulants and immunosuppressants for human use.Ecosystem Monitors: A high concentration of ticks often indicates an ecological imbalance, such as an overpopulation of their hosts or a lack of natural predators in an area.