Posted in Seasonal, Traditions

ABC’s of Summer

Hello and happy summer solstice!

We’ve been on summer break for a couple of weeks, but since today is the first official day of summer, I’m sharing some favorites about summer…in A-B-C order…

A- activities: sidewalk chalk (I miss those little kid days!), pool time, movies and more!

B- baseball: I love having baseball on tv and even better is if we catch a game when in KC.

C- camp: Hadley loves her week at camp every summer. If she could go to camp for a month, I think she’d do it! Hayden is going to running camp this summer too.

D- dresses: I prefer dresses, so I embrace the summer weather and wearing them.

E- exercise: I like having a bit more time for exercising in the summer. That being said, I think I’m better about getting workouts in during the school year when I have a bit more of a routine going. I definitely go on more walks in the summer though.

F- fireworks and fire for s’mores. The 4th of July is one of my favorite days of the year. S’mores are definitely a summer (and fall) treat, but we haven’t made any just yet.

G- goggles: This is Hadley’s first summer not doing swim team, but the kids are still usually looking for their goggles.

H- Homer’s “gotcha day” – We always celebrate getting Homer on June 8th…4 years and counting..

I- ice cream: Summer is the best time for a sweet treat.

J- June/July before thinking about school in August. To me, summer is only two months long. Once August hits, I always feel like I need to focus on back to school.

K- Kindle – Of course, I use my Kindle year round, but I love having the time to read at the pool, the beach, or on the patio.

K- Kayak: We went kayaking this past weekend which was fun.

L- lake: We love time at the lake. Last summer, we went to the lake twice (once in KY and once in Missouri) and those were some of our best memories.

M- Margaritas: I enjoy a skinny marg in the summer or the margarita pack of Trulys.

N- nature: Having some extra time in nature and fresh air is always great. We usually find time for a hike or two.

O- ocean (beach) – Most of our summer vacations include a view of the ocean.

P- pool, patio, and peonies: Of course, our main source of entertainment in the summer is going to the pool. We also love patio weather, and then I can’t wait for peony season at Trader Joe’s.

Q- quiet mornings …while the kids sleep in. I’ve always loved my morning times, but in the summer, I usually get more time to myself before starting the day.

R – road trip: We usually hit the road at some point in the summer. Travis and Hayden have already been to St. Louis, Travis and I went to Georgia/NC, and we usually drive to KC at some point in the summer too. Thankfully, now that the kids are older, road trips are easier.

S- strawberries: strawberries are my favorite fruit…even better is when we get to pick them ourselves.

T- Trav’s birthday: It’s almost time to celebrate T-rav.

U- umbrella: I love pool time, but I always try to snag a spot in the shade under an umbrella.

V – vegetable garden: We’ve only planted a garden a few times, but it’s always so fun to see what’s growing. When we were gone just a couple days last week, Hayden was excited to show us what was growing. We’ve pulled a couple of cucumbers, and the green peppers are starting to grow too.

W- watermelon: The best summer side dish.

X – eXtra sunscreen: Of course, I always wear sunscreen at the pool. These are my faves:

Y- yard work (and flowers). While I don’t love yardwork, Travis does! Also, Hayden has done an amazing job mowing the grass (as well as a few neighbors’ yards) this summer. I always look forward to watching the flowers bloom throughout the spring and summer.

Hydrangeas are my fave in our yard.

Z–ZZZ’s extra sleep/sleeping in. It sure is nice not setting an alarm in the summer. Truthfully, while I haven’t had to get up super early like during the school year, we have had somewhere to be most mornings it seems. That being said, it’s still nice to stay up a bit later and ease in to the mornings.

This was a fun to post to write. I might do one for fall, winter, and spring too!

What did I miss? What are some of your faves for summer?

Posted in Currently

Currently Loving

Hello! It’s been a while since I’ve done a “Currently” post, today I’m sharing a few things that I’m currently loving.

Flower:

Peonies are the flower of the summer. I probably spend too much on these, but when Trader Joe’s has them…usually only in June, it’s hard for me to resist!

Food / Drink:

I’ve seen a few people share this salad, and I recently tried it…and couldn’t love it more.

I usually eat half the salad one day and the other half the next day. Often times, I will add some chicken to it to get in some extra protein. It’s so good.

The Truly Margarita pack has been my favorite drinks of the summer.

Strawberry and Classic Lime are my favorite. The Mango Chili really does have a bit of a kick to it.

Products and Polish:

I’m still loving the Dime Beauty products. The best thing about summer is wearing limited makeup, and often times I just have these products on my face day and night.

For my latest pedicure, I chose a new (to me) color: Mexico City Move-mint. Hadley gave me her approval, so it must be “on trend!”

Clothing Item:

This cover up is one of my favorite latest Amazon purchases. It comes in many colors and patterns as well and short sleeve and sleeveless options. I love the style of it, and it’s perfect for the pool or beach.

Affiliate link

Book:

I was so excited to read Emily Giffin’s new book Meant to Be. It’s lived up to the “hype” in my opinion; I read it in two days!

What are some things you are loving this summer? I’d love to know.