September always feels a little bit like a reset to me. We’ve begun new routines, our calendar is full again, and I’m slowly accepting that the ease of summer is actually over even though Texas apparently does not receive that memo until November.

I’ve also been trying to be more intentional lately about noticing the little things I genuinely enjoy. Not necessarily the big, exciting purchases. Just the things I reach for in the morning, use with the kids, have sitting around our house, or find myself thinking about long after I’ve put them down.

So I thought it might be fun to start keeping a little record of them here.

Consider this my September diary of sorts. A few things I’ve been loving lately, in absolutely no particular order.

Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you shop through them. Everything here is something I actually use and paid for myself.

My skin is finally feeling like mine again

Pregnancy and postpartum hormonal acne really got me, particularly when still breastfeeding one child and being pregnant at the same time. It was especially rough on my chin and back. And even once the acne itself settled down, I was left with dark spots that seemed to hang around forever.

If you’ve been there, you know the part nobody warns you about: the breakouts eventually calm down, and then you’re staring at the marks they left behind for months. That post-inflammatory pigmentation is incredibly common after pregnancy, and it is stubborn.

I’ve been using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner, and I’ve noticed such a difference in those lingering marks.

How I actually use it: a few nights a week, on a cotton round, after cleansing and before anything else. Not every night. I learned the hard way that more is not better with acids, and my skin is much happier at two or three times a week than it ever was when I got ambitious. I always follow with moisturizer. For my back, Hunter helps get the hard to reach spots.

One note if you’re currently pregnant or nursing: glycolic acid is generally considered fine, but skincare during pregnancy is one of those areas where the rules shift, so it’s worth running your routine by your provider rather than guessing.

There’s something really nice about getting back into skincare after babies, too. For so long my routine was whatever I could manage before somebody needed me, and lately I’ve been enjoying taking a few minutes in the morning and evening to actually take care of my skin again.

And then there are these little green Anua soothing pads that I absolutely was influenced to buy. 😂

They’ve made their way into my morning routine and stayed there. I use them right after washing my face, sweep one over my cheeks and chin, and let my skin drink it in for a second before moisturizer. They’re cool and calming, which is exactly what my face wants on the mornings when I’ve used the glycolic toner the night before.

Nothing complicated. Just one of those little rituals I’ve started looking forward to.

A few little swaps for the kids

I’m pretty particular about what we use on the kids, but I’ve also learned after three babies that if something is difficult to use, ridiculously expensive, or doesn’t actually work… we’re probably not going to keep using it.

That’s my whole filter at this point. A swap only counts if it survives an actual Tuesday night bath with three kids in it.

We’ve been trying the Attitude Super Leaves shampoo + body wash, and so far it’s been such an easy swap. One bottle, everyone can use it, and I feel good about having it in their bath.

The one-bottle thing matters more than it sounds like it should. When you’re managing three kids in a bathroom, every extra product is another thing to hand someone, refill, or knock into the tub. This is a two-in-one that lathers well, rinses clean, and doesn’t leave anyone’s skin tight and itchy afterward.

The girls are also VERY into painting their nails right now.

And I love doing all the girly things with them, but traditional nail polish was one of those things I wasn’t particularly excited about putting on their tiny fingers all the time.

We found Piggy Paint, and it’s been so fun. They get to pick their colors and feel very grown up, and I get to be slightly less neurotic about what’s going on their hands. Everyone wins. 😂

A couple of things I’d tell a friend before she buys it: it’s water-based, so it goes on a little sheer and it dries best with a few minutes of air (a hair dryer on cool speeds it up considerably when someone is losing patience). It also comes off with regular remover rather than peeling off on its own, which honestly I prefer — it means it lasts through a bath instead of disappearing after one. The topcoat is what makes it actually stay put, and they sell little color sets if you want to skip the deliberating.

These are the kinds of motherhood moments I know I’ll miss someday. Tiny painted fingernails included.

Still pretending summer isn’t over

My Supergoop! Glowscreen has been with me all summer and isn’t going anywhere just because the calendar says September.

I don’t wear a ton of makeup day-to-day, especially when I’m seeing patients, so I love anything that makes my skin look alive without feeling like I’ve put another layer of makeup on my face.

This gives me a little glow, SPF, and then I’m out the door.

Which is basically my beauty standard at this point in life.

Something we’ve had since our first baby

Our AirDoctor might be the least exciting thing on this list, but probably one of the things I’m most loyal to.

We bought our first air purifier when we found out we were pregnant with our first baby. Then another baby came along and somehow another AirDoctor did too. 😂

Now they just live in our house and run in the background of our life. One in the main living area, one where the kids sleep. The filters get changed when the light tells me to, and that is genuinely the entire amount of thought I give them in a year.

I’ve always cared a lot about creating a healthier home where I can, without making myself crazy trying to control every single exposure. Air quality was one of those things that felt worth addressing for our family, and years later I’m still glad we did.

If you’re pregnant and putting together a nursery right now, this is the kind of thing I’d spend the money on before a lot of the items that usually make the registry list. It gets used every single day for years, which is more than I can say for most baby gear.

I think sometimes the best purchases aren’t the ones you’re excited about six days later. They’re the ones you realize you’ve quietly used for six years.

And something just for me

One of my goals this year was to start reading physical books again.

I love reading, but somewhere along the way so much of my reading became something happening on a screen. I missed holding an actual book, putting it on my nightstand, underlining something I wanted to remember, and choosing that instead of automatically picking up my phone.

I went into our local bookstore recently and The God of the Garden by Andrew Peterson was recommended to me.

I don’t think I would have chosen it on my own.

And maybe that’s part of why I’ve loved it so much.

It’s been one of those books that slows me down a little. Beautiful and thoughtful and good for my soul. The kind you read four pages of and then sit there for a minute.

I’m realizing I need more things in my life that do that.

Until next month 🤍

That’s September.

A skincare routine I’m finally enjoying again. Little girls with painted fingernails. Three kids in the bathtub. An air purifier humming somewhere in the background. A book on my nightstand. And me still wearing my summer sunscreen because it’s probably 99 degrees outside.

Nothing groundbreaking.

Just little pieces of life that have been good lately.

I think I want to keep doing these. Not necessarily as a list of things you should buy, but almost like a little monthly time capsule of what I’m reading, wearing, using, loving, cooking, watching, or doing with the kids.

It’ll be fun to look back someday and remember what life looked like in these seasons.

If you want everything from this month in one place, it’s all linked on my LTK. And if you’d rather these land in your inbox, that’s what the newsletter is for – one thing worth reading each week, no spam, just the stuff your OB didn’t have time to tell you.

See you in the October Edit. 🤍

xo, Dr. Abby