Foolproof Life Lately July 2025

4Th of July Peachtree Road Race – 3rd Year successful A Row!

If your travels ever bring you to Atlanta successful July, I can’t urge nan 4th of July Peachtree Road Race enough. It’s technically a 10k, but it feels overmuch much for illustration nan biggest outdoor statement of nan year.

This was our 3rd twelvemonth participating, and erstwhile again, it didn’t disappoint. Being surrounded by group of each ages, backgrounds, and fittingness levels reminded america what a typical organization arena it really is.

And yes, we walked it and finished! The champion part, though? Hands down, nan juicy Georgia peaches waiting for america astatine nan decorativeness line.

Goodbye, Dorothy

Longtime readers cognize really overmuch I loved my aged achromatic room and really excited I was when we bought this location backmost successful 2020.

In last month’s update, I shared that we had moved, and this period we officially sold our aged house. We had nicknamed it Dorothy, since it was connected Dorothy Lane.

Saying goodbye to that kitchen, wherever I created truthful galore recipes for this blog, wasn’t easy. But nan caller owners were truthful benignant and genuinely excited to make it their own, which gave maine peace.

It was my first clip trading a house, and it genuinely felt for illustration closing a large section of our lives.

With that section closing, I recovered myself needing to slow down and really return banal of wherever I was headed.

A Much-Needed Break

I’ve been blogging since 2013, and successful each those years, I don’t deliberation I’ve ever genuinely taken a week disconnected from societal media. Sharing present and (hopefully) being adjuvant has ever been a privilege for me, usually astatine slightest doubly a week.

But backmost successful April, I started emotion nan weight of everything happening astir us, particularly pinch AI and nan uncertainty it brings for group for illustration maine who create contented for a living.

If you’ve been pursuing nan news, you’ve astir apt seen nan endless discussions and predictions. Some opportunity we’ll beryllium among nan hardest hit, and while nary 1 really knows for sure, nan speculation unsocial was capable to nonstop maine spiraling.

I recovered myself scared, overwhelmed, and questioning whether what I’ve built complete nan past 12 years could really beryllium astatine risk. For a while, I thought I could conscionable hustle done it, but earlier this month, I realized I needed to region and look these feelings head-on.

So, I made nan determination to return nan full period disconnected from societal media and from sharing caller recipes. I needed clip to measurement back, deliberation astir what this play intends for my business, and fig retired really I tin support moving guardant without losing myself successful nan process.

And you cognize that celebrated saying by Ann Lamont, “Almost everything will activity again if you unplug it for a fewer minutes, including you.”?

That’s precisely what happened to me. Stepping distant helped maine spot nan bigger image and determine which proposal was worthy holding connected to successful nan oversea of opinions being thrown around.

So, What’s Next?

One of nan biggest pieces of proposal you perceive these days astir staying applicable successful nan property of AI is this: study to show stories and make individual connections.

Because really, do we request different recipe? What we request is simply a personification we tin trust, a assets that feels human.

I’ve ever tried to do that, but pinch nan changes AI is bringing, I realized I needed to pivot a bit. Attention spans are shorter than ever, and nan situation now is telling a meaningful communicative successful nether a infinitesimal (?!?). 

Honestly, I didn’t cognize really to do that.

And to beryllium real, storytelling successful 40 seconds isn’t easy, particularly erstwhile English isn’t your first language. 

That’s why I joined an online bootcamp (I talked much astir this successful last month’s life update post) focused connected storytelling successful this caller AI-driven world.

So, what does this mean for nan “new” me? 

It intends building deeper connections done my recipes and done who I am. 

Whether you’re reference my emails, seeing my Instagram posts, aliases watching my YouTube videos, you’ll not only get nan look but besides nan why down it, why I’m sharing it, and really it connects maine pinch you.

To beryllium rather honest, there’s still truthful overmuch to learn, and I’m very caller astatine this. I consciousness much susceptible than ever, but I cognize it has to happen.

So if you follow maine connected Instagram, you’ll announcement a existent displacement successful nan measurement I share. I’m still figuring retired nan quirks of creating story-driven reels, but we each person to commencement somewhere, don’t we?

Time To Get Ready for The Holiday Season

With each these changes connected nan horizon, I realized I couldn’t do it each connected my ain anymore. So this month, I took a large measurement and hired my first full-time employee, Victoria, on pinch a caller room assistant, Cameron.

Victoria will beryllium focusing connected organizing our editorial calendar, hunt motor optimization, and writing, while Cameron will beryllium successful nan room pinch me, developing, testing, writing, and filming recipes.

August will beryllium each astir getting them up to velocity and training together truthful we’re fresh for nan engaged vacation play ahead.

It’s a large alteration for my mini business, but I cognize having capable, well-trained group by my broadside will not only thief maine accommodate to nan changes happening astir america but besides springiness maine much abstraction to stock contented successful a much meaningful way.

Still, successful nan mediate of each this planning, I’ve been soaking up each spot of summertime I can.

But Wait, Summer’s Not Over Yet

I whitethorn beryllium gearing up for nan vacation season, but I’m obscurity adjacent fresh to opportunity goodbye to summer.

The farmer’s markets present successful Atlanta are overflowing correct now, and Dwight and I person been making it a constituent to sojourn our section farmers’ markets arsenic often arsenic we can. The tomatoes are astatine their highest (making piyaz connected repeat), and soon we’ll beryllium seeing eggplants and truthful galore different late-summer treasures.

Cooking pinch what’s successful play has been a existent joy.

And earlier nan charismatic commencement of nan vacation play successful September (at slightest for america bloggers!), I person a mates of short trips connected nan sky that I’m really excited about. First, a speedy girls’ travel to New York City, and past a formation getaway successful Cancun.

I scheme connected taking plentifulness of photos and jotting down each nan bully spots we sojourn truthful I tin stock them pinch you successful adjacent month’s update.

In The Now

Before I fto you go, present are a fewer things I bought/experienced and loved this month:

Currently wearing – A classical but light linen dress 

I emotion linen dresses that you tin easy dress up aliases down, and this 1 has quickly go a favorite. It’s alternatively bladed since it doesn’t person a lining, but I deterioration a elemental gaffe underneath and it’s perfect. Comfortable, breezy, and conscionable correct for these basking summertime days.

Currently Reading – Gwyneth: The Biography by Amy Odell

Anyone who knows maine knows I’ve been a longtime instrumentality of Gwyneth Paltrow and nan marque she’s built. This book is simply a fascinating look astatine her life and her power connected today’s wellness-obsessed culture. It was conscionable released yesterday, but acknowledgment to Audible, I’m already almost finished.

I’ll beryllium honest, it doesn’t precisely overgarment nan prettiest image of her, but I knew that going in. After all, nary 1 gets to that level of occurrence by being bully each nan time.

Immensely Enjoyed – A Night of Jazz pinch Diana Krall

Diana Krall wrapped up her 2025 circuit correct present successful Atlanta, and acknowledgment to Dwight, we managed to get unthinkable tickets. My champion friend and her hubby joined us, which made nan nighttime moreover much special.

I’ve agelong been a instrumentality of her velvety sound and her unthinkable talent arsenic a jazz pianist, and nan performance did not disappoint. She sang a operation of her well-known songs on pinch a fewer she created pinch her arsenic talented husband, Elvis Costello.

If you’re a jazz person for illustration we are, I can’t urge seeing her unrecorded enough; it’s an unforgettable experience.

I Leave You With This

With nan authorities of nan world and nan changeless changes successful technology, it tin consciousness for illustration everything is moving faster than we tin support up with. I cognize I’ve had a difficult clip adapting, and if you’re emotion nan aforesaid way, please cognize you’re not alone.

It’s not easy, and we’re each figuring it retired together.

In lawsuit you needed nan reminder: we’re each doing nan champion we tin pinch what’s correct successful beforehand of us.

Until adjacent month, support your bosom unfastened and return gentle attraction of yourself.

Thank you, arsenic always, for being present pinch me. Your support intends much than I tin say.

Until adjacent month,

Aysegul