What’s Up Wednesday {July 2026}

Where in the world did July go?! This summer has gone way too fast!!

Today I’m linking up with other bloggers for a fun end-of-the-month What’s Up Wednesday!

We’ve been home just as much as we’ve been away this July—if not more! Because of that, our dinners have been a little random lately. One meal we did make before heading to Marco Island was one of our family favorites: Chicken Pot Pie!

I actually shared the recipe on the blog yesterday if you’re curious. It’s one of my favorite meals to make on a busy weeknight because it’s so easy, comforting, and always a hit with our family.

I will say I really missed eating salads while on vacation. I love a good salad but with this whole parasite thing I am not ready to jump back into the salad game especially when dining out!

Summer. 💙

I honestly can’t get enough of it. If I had it my way, summer would last just one more month! One more month of traveling, one more month of sleeping in and staying up late, and one more month of spending every day with my girls. This season always goes by way too quickly, and I’m trying to soak up every last minute of it.

Another thing I’ve been loving lately is our Little Sleepies blankets. I picked up several of them when they were on a great sale, and they’ve quickly become family favorites. We especially love taking them with us when we travel! They’re made from bamboo, so they’re incredibly soft and have the perfect cozy weight without feeling too heavy. If you’re looking for a thoughtful gift for a little one (or honestly, anyone who loves to be cozy!), I definitely recommend them.

We just got back from Marco Island, so we’re settling back into life at home and finishing up all of our back-to-school shopping. It’s hard to believe summer is winding down! We’re trying to soak up every last summer day we have left before the school year begins.

Truthfully, I’ve been working on one thing more than anything else: consistency. I’m making it a goal to post regularly here on Simply Holley Marie, while also getting my other blogs organized and ready for consistent content. I’m excited about all of these projects and can’t wait to keep sharing more with you!

I’ve definitely been watching a little bit of everything lately!

Personally, I’ve been on a huge Real Housewives kick. I finally finished The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, just started The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, and have been keeping up with The Real Housewives of Orange County each week. I don’t know what it is, but I just love Real Housewives!

With John, we’ve been trying to squeeze in a fun movie whenever we have the chance. This week we’re watching Jaws for Shark Week, and we recently watched Pressure on Peacock. It was one of the best movies we’ve seen in a while and definitely worth watching!

With the girls, we’ve had the new Descendants movie on repeat ever since it came out. Before that, though, we had a really fun streak of watching ’90s family movies together. It was so much fun introducing the girls to some of our childhood favorites that I ended up writing a whole blog post about them!

Right now, I’m reading The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe. I love a good biography, and this one is written with such a compelling storyline. It’s one of those books that’s hard to put down because it reads almost like a novel while still sharing the fascinating details of Marilyn’s life.

This weekend we are spending time at the beach with our school friends. We did this last year and it was so fun so we are excited to hang out with everyone again! I will definetly report back where we stayed and how it was.

I have to admit, this one is a little bittersweet.

I’m so sad for summer to come to an end, but I’m also excited—in a small way—for a little time to myself. I haven’t had that in eight years! Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, I was a teacher, so this really is the first season of my adult life where I’ll have a few hours during the day to myself.

Kate starting school is such a mix of emotions. I’m going to miss having her home with me so much, but I’m also looking forward to finally having time to work on my blogs, tackle projects around the house, and simply run errands without little helpers tagging along. It’s a new chapter for both of us, and while it’s a little hard to believe it’s here, I’m excited to see what this season brings.

Here are some super random pics from month!

I hope you enjoyed the What’s Up Wednesday link up! Happy Wednesday my friends and until the next What’s Up Wednesday have a good day!

-Holley