Daily celebrations in August

“It’s life that matters, nothing but life—the process of discovering, the everlasting and perpetual process, not the discovery itself, at all.”

~Fyodor Dostoevsky

I chose CELEBRATE as my 2026 Word of the Year (WOTY). One way I’m putting that word into practice is to take note of the many things I have to celebrate…large and small…during the month and share the highlights with you on the final Tuesday of each month.

Another way of putting my word into practice is to keep a Celebration Journal. Throughout the day when something strikes me as worth celebrating…no matter how small…I jot it down in my journal. Each night just before bed, I review the day’s list and quietly celebrate my good fortune.

For this month’s Celebration blog post, I have decided to share with you one item from each day of my Celebration Journal.

August Celebrations

1. My sister, Cindy, arrived for a visit!

2. Spent a fun day in the pool with my sister.

3. Tried a new drink at Swig…Raspberry Dream. It was indeed dreamy.

4. We made it safely to our Murray home. The drive was uneventful…the best kind.

5. Had lunch at Red Rock Brewery with a friend I used to work with.

6. Got my hair done.

7. I couldn’t choose one, so you get A and B: 

7.a. Had brunch with two of my sisters at Ruth’s Diner.

Omelet, hash browns, and an orange wedge.
Smoked salmon omelete from Ruth’s Diner in Emigration Canyon, Utah

7.b. PR’d the Catch Me if You Can workout at Orangetheory Fitness.

Catch me if you can original workout.

8. Cleaned out the guest room and donated extra blankets to charity.

9. Found time to read.

10. Made it safely back to Southern Utah, listening to a fascinating podcast, Under Cover of Knight.

11. Started a new jigsaw puzzle.

12. My blog audit went well…no issues found.

13. Bought new trail and gym shoes from St. George Running Center.

Topo Athletic trail runners.
Topo Ultraventure 5 for walking and hiking
Altra women's running shoes.
Altra Torin 9 for the gym and pickleball

Related video

14. We got rain!

15. Got my nails done. Sadly this was my last appointment with Kylee.

Pink french tip nail art.

16. Enjoying a freshly cleaned house.

17. Had a much-needed stretch session with Liv.

18. Picked up my framed Camino certificates.

Framed Camino de Santiago certificates, pilgrim's passport, and a shell.

19. Repotted my spider plant.

A spider plant, potting soil, and gardening gloves.

20. Had a glorious massage from Gabrielle at Melted Massage, followed by an iced coffee from FeelLove Coffee.

Related video

21. Work on the pickleball court has started.

Related video

22. Had a really good night’s sleep.

23. A clean car with a full tank, courtesy of Larry.

24. Cupboards full of healthy, delicious food.

Your turn

  1. What did you celebrate in August?
  2. Are you ready for the upcoming change of seasons?
  3. What else is on your mind? Anything at all; I just love to hear from you.

You may also like

  • Friday favorites potpourri

    This week brought a wonderful mix of things to smile about–a Friday favorites potpourri, if you will. Let’s start with a visit from these beautiful grandchildren. We have an agreement: one “nice” pic and then they get to make silly faces. (Anyone else notice Wells’ face didn’t change at all?) More grandchildren — this time…

  • Thank you notes: little bits of gratitude from February 2022

    Thank you Sweet Tooth Fairy… …for this adorable and delicious red velvet cupcake. Looking at it made me smile. Eating it made me do the happy food dance I learned from my mother. Which reminds me…thank you Mom for teaching me to appreciate the small things in life, like good food. Speaking of which… Thank…

  • Girls on the Run 5k celebration!

    We envision a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams.” ~Girls on the Run Saturday was another incredible Girls on the Run 5k celebration. While I was not an official running buddy this year, I had the pleasure of running side-by-side with my granddaughter Kanyen. We…

  • Friday favorites: thank you notes

    Happy Friday! It’s been a while since I’ve done thank you notes, so I think it’s time. Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” ~William Arthur Ward Thank you Cindy for inviting me to go on a hike. Thank you Mother Nature for providing this grandeur (Wild…

  • Thank you notes – April 2020

    Thank you spring… …for the beautiful color… …for the warmer temperatures and longer daylight hours… …and the promise of new beginnings. Thank you Arvanitis/Carrell family… … for the socially-responsible family visit. It did my heart good to see your faces and hear your voices in person, even if we couldn’t hug. Thank you for braving…

  • Thank you notes – May 2020

    Thank you Jessi and Saira… …for joining us for a socially-distanced picnic lunch, even if it did result in a sunburn. After so long indoors, we forgot what that bright orb in the sky was…or what it could do. Thank you spring flowers… …for brightening my mood. Thank you eyes for allowing me to enjoy…

5 Comments

  1. I didn’t really celebrate much of anything in August. My mother in law did have a birthday and we had a family party for her but I felt like I was much too distracted to really enjoy it as my dad had just passed away and we were in the thick of dealing with ALL the things. We did have a fun night out for ice cream just before the boys left for college so there was that at least!

  2. I really love how you are celebrating the little things! I don’t do a daily review, but I have continued to do an end of the month one. My monthly “I did it” list has turned into noting many of the little things to celebrate.
    This month has had a few biggies as well! My birthday was a lovely celebration as I had so many FB notes – more than I expected and quite joyful hearing from people from so many parts of my life. I had a fabulous trip with my nieces to DisneyWorld. And the house build has had some real progress.
    I was reading an article today about habits to help you live a more joyful life, and “it’s the little things” was a key aspect of that article. You are definitely living that message!

  3. It made me happy that I was a part of some of the things you found joyful. I loved all the pictures and short videos! I am really looking forward to Fall, but last winter was so mild I don’t know what to expect. Mother Nature is definitely a mystery.

  4. Hi Christie – I love all of these small joys that added together made for a lovely August. I’ve just started a monthly collaged journal based on a youtube video I saw and liked. It inspired me to put together all the little happenings of the month into something visual and reviewable as the year goes forward.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *