Kelsey invented a sweet, refreshing cocktail to sip while talking about Back to School season, fresh starts, and the lovely smell of new school supplies...

Frozen Melon Mojito
makes 2 cocktail/mocktails

• 1/4 of a cantaloupe, cut into chunks and frozen 
• ~1/2 cup mint simple syrup (made from 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar, and fresh mint leaves; boil until clear, remove mint leave and allow to cool)
• ~5 fresh mint leaves
• extra water as needed for consistency
• 1 shot rum per cocktail (optional)

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend, adding additional water for consistency and/or additional mint simple syrup to taste. Pour into glasses and garnish with a fresh mint leaf.

What is it about Back-to-School season that is so appealing even when you're not currently a student or teacher? Something about it has us feeling energized and inspired! Here in the desert it's definitely still hot and not really fall, but we're pretending, and Back to School time is just the start.

Erica talks about what Back to School is like from a teacher's perspective and shares some first day of school stories from her students. (If you enjoyed those check out her book, Candid Classroom)

We talk about the importance of a fresh start and reminisce about first day of school outfits, school supply shopping, our favorite years in school, and the social hierarchy of crayons.

We also share our favorite grown-up office supplies. Erica still hoards brand name art supplies and post-it notes. She writes exclusively with these Sharpie pens and wants more reasons to use this stapler. Kelsey's favorite pens are these and these (and these for a splurge), and she's a big fan of her lunch box.

Erica's obsessed lately with baskets for organization(These ones from Target are a current favorite)and SimplyRain white noise app for writing or blocking out ambient noise.

Kelsey's obsessed with the AccuWeather app, since even a small chance of rain here in the desert is an exciting event.

In neighborhood news, Erica's not hating the pool fence that was just installed for the safety of her future kiddos. We try to clear up the bulk garbage pick-up schedule in our neighborhood, Erica has an update on the ferel cat problem that might involve some sort of cat trafficking solution. A creepy antique chair is lurking around these parts (much like this story from Hollywood Housewife).

**We are making The Girl Next Door Book Club a quarterly thing! Our fall episode will air October 15th, and we're reading and discussing Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and the Sherlock Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet. Join us?!**