A fresh start, but really a new beginning, someplace we have never been before that sits atop the knowledge we have gained over not only the past summer and preceding twelve months, but upon all the years that came before.

When we reflect on Septembers in recent past and long behind us, pondering what worked well, what made the autumn soar spectacularly into winter, if we look closely we will find what we really need to thrive and what desires will help elevate our days and opportunities even more.

Over the years here on TSLL, rarely an end of summer arrives when we don’t talk about La Rentrée, that French term for returning from our les vacances, all rested, renewed and rejuvenated, stepping back into our regular work and school schedules, the hustle and bustle if we let it become that, or a strong and steady flow of intentional living, seizing and savoring in equal measure all taking place in their best moment to occur.

So per tradition, what better way to kick off our first Monday Motivational post of season 16 of the blog than with a post about setting the right tone for a wonderful twelve months to come?

While I encourage you, if you’ve never read the many La Rentrée posts in the Archives, to so do, if you have, this year’s post takes it up a notch because now I’d like to share the general areas that have proven themselves to be worth tending to as they provide the support and enjoyment of a wonderful start to September’s new beginning.

Let’s take a look . . .

1. Reassessing and Reconfiguring a work routine and life routine that is nourishing all week long

If you work on someone else’s schedule, for example teachers and administrators, as well as students adhering to the school schedule, reconfiguring your work routine will appear near impossible, but I challenge you to change something, even your approach to how you drive to work, to where you eat your lunch, and to when you do certain tasks, if it will help enhance the quality of your day.

And for anyone who works for themselves or who has immense flexibility, I challenge you to consider doing something differently, maybe a lot differently if improvement would be beneficial. For example, I love quiet workdays around Bend. The town hums more softly, but everything is still open and working, and because so many of us are entrepreneurs, there is still a lot of socializing at favorite haunts. And since I rarely paddleboard or ski on the weekend due to the understandably busy people places flocked by tourists, but also locals on their weekend, I decided to challenge myself for one month to flip my work week on its head. Turning for example Tuesday and Wednesday into my weekends and working through the traditional weekends. We will see how it goes, but knowing my energy levels and what energizes me versus drains me, I am going to give it a try. We’ll see how it goes.

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2. Have at least two new books to read – each in a different genre

The beautiful gift of autumn is that there are oodles of amazing new titles being released,and I will be sharing many of them with you in A Cuppa Moments on September 1st, and regularly on Friday’s This & That. In any moment that I don’t have a book to read, I am reminded about how nourishing it is to have something to feed my mind. And depending upon the time of day or time of the week, there is usually a type of genre I reach for.

For example, I love to have a non-fiction book that is going to teach me something new – about psychology, anything about the brain, etc., or a biography about a person I am curious to learn more about. But I also like to have a light-hearted read to end the day with and calm me down, relax my mind so to speak and just be a fun escape.

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3. A tidy sanctuary

While a deep clean isn’t required, simply having the house, the car and garden tidied up brings space, and thus calm, into the day and the evenings after a long work day. The sanctuary provides nourishment and is free from causing unnecessary exhaustion as might occur as we look at a messy interior of our vehicle , room or closet, etc.

Over the past couple of weeks I have been tending to every room in the house, gradually preparing the garden as it shifts into September, cutting back what needs to be, tending to what is getting ready to shine, cleaning a cupboard or two here and there as energy encourages me. By the end of last week, everything was looking ship-shape, and I was feeling quite relaxed and ready for a new year to begin.

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4. Stock up the simple everyday luxuries

From favorite tea varietals, candles, Nelle’s favorite treats, anything that helps lift the day and make it sing or provide a hug when exhaustion overwhelms us.

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4. Stepping into the kitchen – making sure everything is available for ease of cooking and baking

As many of you know and many too are now enrolled and making your way through the new cooking class – Intro to French Cooking – having a well-stocked (but not stuffed!) épicerie/pantry makes the everyday meal preparation a breeze. So I will double-check making sure my salts, my vinegars, oils, farro, black rice, steel oats, and the list goes on for what I know I need to have to make the dishes I enjoy. This takes a lot of ‘thinking’ out of the day that isn’t necessary, so I can just play, dance and then eat! And eat well, especially when I am famished and need to be nourished well and just slow down.

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5. Seasonal clothing staples acquired or note what you still need to find

Whether we have everything we need, perhaps not all we want, but knowing what those items are, for our capsule wardrobe gives so much peace of mind. Stepping into our closet and knowing we will have the blazer, the shoes, the trousers, the dress, and the accessories to finish the ensemble, allows our mind, our attention, to be placed elsewhere, and our clothes support well our day whatever is in store.

TSLL’s Fall Shopping Guide will be posted on September 1st, but as many of us know, it is a gradual accumulation of our capsule wardrobe items. And when we shop well once, we have items with us for many years that we can rely on and trust will complete the look we need.

And on the flip side, if we don’t have what we need, but know what that is, we are more likely to find it. Keep this list short, be discerning and when you find what will work beautifully, bring it home.

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6. Skincare needs purchased wisely

I say wisely because over the years I have whittled down what I need, and some of what I need is an investment. However, I now know places offer nice savings opportunities on those ‘spendy’ items. From ECosmetics, to Blue Mercury and even FragranceNet, each of these and a few others have the items I love and use on a regular basis – my body lotion from Nuxe, my La Mer. facial cream, and my lip balm – Sisley – and regularly have steep discounts, up to 35% off what I would pay at the brand’s site. This has saved my budget over the years especially as I am more confident in what actually works on my skin.

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7. Events and outings to look forward to this autumn

From local events to concerts, film premieres and film festivals, all of these and more occur here in Bend come autumn’s arrive, and where each of us calls home, there are events that we wait for in great anticipation. Making plans, buying the tickets now makes autumn and all of the ‘work’ we have to do, all the more enjoyable because we have such wonderful excursions and outings to partake in just around the corner.

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8. Ensuring snugs are part of the sanctuary

As the temperature begins to slowly cool, having cozy places to sit whether in the living room, in our bedroom, by the fireplace, near a window overlooking something that is beautiful or holds our curiosity, just anywhere that beckons you to sit, slow down and be still without rushing off immediately, is a good idea to cultivate. While this may take time over the years as you envision what you want and save up or wait for certain pieces of furniture to be made, reupholstered or finished, just knowing that you will have such spaces can bring calm. Invest in cultivate calm respites in your home, and the health benefits now and long-term will increase as a result.

The art of savoring, something we will talk about more as September unfolds, not only is a skill to elevate the joy of our everydays, but is a skill that benefits our health as well because we are changing the neuron-patterns in our mind to look for what is going well. As a result, we begin, ever so gradually, to default to seeing all that is going well. Our mind is powerful and part of its power, is that it is malleable. Why not utilize its strength for good? 🙂

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9. Check in with the health of your pets and get them ready for the new season as well

While not a seasonal task – grooming Nelle – but rather every other month, knowing she is freshly groomed as September begins eases my mind. Having completed her haircut this past weekend, she is looking snazzy! But I also know how much ease this brings into her day as well as mine. Making sure I have her toothpaste and brush, and we are brushing on the “T” days, her food is stocked as well as treats, just having everything at the ready should life speed up a bit brings peace of mind that my priority of her care is tended to.

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10. Sleep necessities are gathered

From having warmer pajamas ready and ironed (my favorite linen pjs here), to having a robe that is a bit cozier than the summer light-weight option, and slippers too, something I don’t wear in the summer but always look for come autumn’s first chill. Also, is the alarm or any ‘tech’ I have in the bedroom helpful? Can I change it for a better night’s sleep?

While I haven’t had my phone in my room for quite a few years, taking note of what helps me sleep well, and appreciating it, not necessarily changing it if we have figured out what works for us, is a practice in gratitude. For me, I have my Roberts radio playing every night and when I wake up, something I didn’t have just four years ago, and I don’t know what I would do without it now to fall asleep and gently wake up.

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11. Assessing reading material subscriptions – print/online/delivered/etc.

From weekend newspapers, financial and cultural periodicals, online newspapers and blogs, and my comfort magazines delivered hold-in-hand style each month. – what do I actually read? What is helpful in my decision-making and knowledge about the world, and which ones might I want to add for feeding my mind and thus, life well?

Currently, I have been dithering back and forth about editing my news reading material, just a bit, not too much, but taking note of what we know to be most helpful, and thus will read regularly not only is smart money management, but also nourishes our mind and creativity well.

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12. Similarly, tv subscriptions – tailor to our tastes

So many new television shows return in the fall, which makes it an anticipatory time of year, but that also means that we may want to adjust from what we currently have for streaming services to what we will want. For me, with the US Tennis Open I turn my Hulu back on after having stopped it in the spring, and know I will not only watch this two-week tournament but also Only Murders in the Building (premiering on September 9th) and Abbott Elementary which will premiere later this season. And of course, I am back with Netflix – hello! GBBO, The Diplomat, so many good shows are returning.

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13. Personal self-care items ready to be used

From having an empty (or fairly empty) journal ready to write in each evening, my meditation app subscription set up and running smoothly, bird food stocked for the bird cafés that bring so much delight all-day long, lip balm by the bedside table, even my 2026 planner purchased and ready as I am already looking ahead for appointments and This & That finds! All of these support items help the days run smoothly so that either I don’t forget or lose track of an idea that crosses my mind in early morning hours or throughout my days or I don’t have to think twice about my app for meditating being ready to use with the tap on my tablet’s screen.

When we know what we need to support ourselves through our days, choosing to have those items at-the-ready frees our mind to think more freely and creatively, but also saves time from having to find them, or buy them or wait for them to arrive.

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14. Answer the question and set an intention around your answer to that question: How do I want to grow/heal?

Often with more free and unstructured time in the summer months, I find it a wonderful open mental park so-to-speak to realize, oh, this would be helpful or I want to better understand how to do [insert skill] or I don’t want to feel this way anymore. Wherever we each fall on the growth or healing we would like, choosing something to grow with intention about our own self and journey is to love ourselves well and step closer to realizing our full potential whatever that is for each of us.

How we want to grow may be something such as acquiring a new language or it may be growth in how we connect with others more lovingly but also while letting go without expectations when we do give lovingly. Healing ourselves may look like honoring a truth we’ve long kept hidden or ignored, or it mean be healing a limiting belief that doesn’t serve us.

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September ushers in a time of great promise for each of our lives. And while yes, we can just go through the motions and do all that we’ve done in the past to begin the new year, we could choose to add to the life we love while also letting go of what no longer nourishes us. All the proof we need is to reflect on the outcomes that have come to pass during previous La Rentrées. If our choice of food is not helping or our exercise needs to be a bit more challenging, but as a result, less time consuming so that we will stick with it, then that is an area in which we can growth. Follow what you are curious to understand or which you knew if only I could [insert what you think is standing in your way]. I have a feeling, when you look closely and are frank with yourself, you may realize you are the only voice saying ‘nope, it’s not possible’.

So much is possible when we view this special time of year as a step up into something fresh and promising.. Wishing you a wonderful al rentrée and thank you for stopping by today. Bonne journée !

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