Opalite - Creating My Own Joy (July 2026 Recap)

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I chose the word Opalite for 2026 because I love the meaning so much.  The word is the title of a song by Taylor Swift, and it means creating your own joy or happiness even when things aren’t going your way.  Life is full of ups and downs, so I thought this would be the perfect word to keep at the forefront of my mind as a constant reminder that there’s always something I can do to lift my own spirits.  And this manufactured joy doesn’t have to come from grand gestures or big events… most of the time it’s made in the small, everyday details. 

July was another wonderful month filled with lots of relaxation, hanging out with friends, celebrating Jacob’s birthday, and gearing up for school.  It was honestly one of my favorite summers ever without even trying.  Here are a few of the things I did to make things extra special. 

 

-       I allowed myself to stalk the internet as much as I wanted to on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding day, just hoping for a sneak peek of her dress.  Sadly, we still haven’t seen it, but I really enjoyed seeing all the other famous people who attended and all the things they wore.  You all know that I love me some Tay, and it just really made me happy to know that she’s finally found her lifetime love.  There’s nothing like celebrating someone else’s joy… even if you don’t know them personally.  Hahahaha.

-       I bought these tattoo star freckles to add some whimsy to our 4th of July party that we hosted.  All the ladies wore them, and they were the cutest things!  It was such a simple thing, but it made everybody happy!

-       Olivia wanted to shop the LoveShackFancy x Target drop earlier in the month, and I had zero intentions of getting anything for myself, but I fell in love with the print on this hairbrush and it was a Wet Brush (which are the only brushes I use), so I grabbed a new one.  It makes me so happy every time I use it now!  I always love when something is functional and pretty!

-       I also grabbed some new towels for our guest bathroom, and instead of going with my usual plain white, no-frills towels, I decided to get these gorgeous floral ones.  They match the decor in our bathroom perfectly and they look fantastic in there… and for such a great price! 

-       Target put all their women’s athletic apparel on SUPER sale (30% off) last month, so I grabbed three matching sets, all in different styles and colors – this athletic dress that looks and feels as high quality as Spanx, this two-piece set (I’m obsessed with the joggers), and this skort and top set.  And did a mention that ALL THREE outfits have pockets?!  Thank you, clothing designers for finally realizing that men aren’t the only ones who like to have pockets!  There’s just something about a matching athletic set that makes me feel like I’m put together while simultaneously feeling as comfy as if I was wearing pajamas.  I’m going to be living in these for the next couple of months!

-       The kids and I volunteered at our church’s outreach center three times in July, and there’s just nothing like the pure happiness that comes from volunteering your time and knowing that you’re making a difference in someone’s life.

-       We started watching Friends with our kids!!  I’ve been waiting for years for them to be old enough to finally introduce them to the best show of all time, and even though I think it’s probably still a little too early for Olivia, I’m glad we just decided to go with it because it’s a show that all four of us can watch together and enjoy.  The amount of laughing out loud I do on a daily basis now has probably quadrupled since we started watching it again.  I never ever tire of it.  And getting to share my favorite show of all time – a show that meant so much to me during my teenage and young adult years – with my kids?  Well, that’s priceless.  And you know what’s even better?  The fact that they both love it so much that they never want to stop watching it!  They’ve both declared it their favorite show of all-time and I cannot even tell y’all how happy that makes me.  I don’t know what I would have done if they’d hadn’t liked it.  It would have broken my heart.

 

I’m sure there were so many more things that we did to spark joy in July, but just like in June, I was terrible at keeping notes in my phone for this post.  I’m hoping to do better at keeping my notes this month since the kids are back at school.  I try not to be on my phone documenting everything when they’re around, so hopefully next month’s post will be better!

Happy Wednesday, y’all!