I just looked at the temperatures and we are solidly in the 90’s all next week. Whew! I’m mentally preparing myself to garden early, hide in the afternoon, and splash in the evenings; summer is here. And the lack of structure has been really enjoyable.

I’m usually someone who appreciates a good rhythm, but summer has a way of making me loosen my grip a little. The girls are older, the days feel longer, dinner can be something simple, and there is more room for spontaneous projects, movie nights, garden experimenting, and sitting around chatting in pajamas past bedtime.

It’s been a mix of all kinds of things, highlighted below. Here’s a peek into what I’m loving lately, June edition!

Girls Nights

David is traveling for work and while we miss him mucho when he isn’t here, we also lean hard into girl time. At ages 14 and 12, this is SO much fun. It usually kicks off with everyone getting clean and cozy, then morphs into a simple supper, nail painting or crafting, dance parties in the kitchen, and ending the night with ice cream and a movie.

On night one the feature film was one of their favorites, National Treasure, and night two was one of my old school favorites, The Lizzie McGuire movie. The dance party song of the night? Hey now, hey nowww this is what dreams are made of! IYKYK 😉

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SI Belt

I’ve been dealing with some SI joint irritation, so I’m starting to do some internet prescribed stretches, giving heavy squats and lunges a rest for a bit, and using a heating pad twice a day. Yesterday the SI belt I ordered showed up and it is a GAME CHANGER. The extra support makes a night and day difference. I plan to wear it under my dress today- ha.

I realized I don’t have a picture of me sporting this belt, but I do have a picture of the workout shorts I’m loving – wide, comfy waist band and not too long for my shorter legs.

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Dazzle Dry

Consider this my official unpaid-but-wish-it-was-sponsored love letter to Dazzle Dry.

I realized why I love it so much. I’ve never been opposed to the process of doing my own nails but it always had two major deterrents: the time to dry and how quickly it chipped. Dazzle Dry solves both of those and I just can’t seem to shut up about it. Now I’m the mom that does the girls’ nails while we watch a movie and I’m the woman who has her nails looking pulled together and polished. It feels really good and I have all but completely stopped picking at my cuticles. If you haven’t tried it yet, begin with this starter kit!

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4th of July Prep

You still have time to snag this festive body glitter stick! I usually detest glitter but this is cute, stays where it is applied, and washes off easily.

I’ve put up my American decor, including rustic stars and stripes pennants, mini flags stuck into planters, and a giant flag waving outside. I got the red version of my favorite Quince dress, we watched The Patriot (whew, there are some tough scenes in that one), saw Revolutionary America in the theater, have enjoyed cheering on USA in the World Cup, and we’ve been watching the videos on social media of people visiting the USA and the hilarious culture shock (people going in a Costco, visiting a Buckee’s, discovering free refills, etc).

Search “World Cup visitors discovering America” if you want some heartwarming and hilarious content.

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Dish Drying Stone

I ordered this collapsible stone drying mat on the first day of the prime sale and it showed up that evening. It holds up to its reputation of being aesthetically pleasing while also drying dishes much faster. As someone who does a LOT of dishes, this really does speed things up. It’s made of diatomaceous earth so it’s super absorbent and encased in food grade silicone.

I know it’s early to say this, but this is exactly the kind of practical thing I’d happily give as a hostess gift… or tuck away as a Christmas idea.

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Googling Italy

Perhaps inspired by our Lizzie McGuire watching? 😉

We are thinking about 2027 and would love to take a family trip to Italy for spring break. Being that it won’t be summer time, I’m trying to narrow in on the best spots weather wise for that time of year. If you’ve been to Italy, I’d love your input! Right now I’m leaning towards a combo of historic Rome paired with a countryside (Tuscany?) experience. I love the idea of bike rides and cooking classes!

Rome + Tuscany? Rome + Amalfi? Florence instead? Tell me what you loved, especially if you’ve been in spring!

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Home Organization Projects

While the girls were at camp I tackled several cabinets. We cleaned out the office. On Father’s Day we all tackled David’s workshop. Next up? Our closet. But I have to wait until I’m in the right mindset to be ruthless. Less is more. I want solid staples that fit me well and will be abstaining from all impulse Amazon “must have” items until further notice.

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Gardening

I couldn’t not include any garden talk because this grandma habit is continuing to bring so much joy to my life. I have cucumbers coming out my ears and have pickled over 15 jars at this point (experimenting with different recipes). My tomatoes are starting to blush. I’ve kept the squash bugs at bay enough to have some thriving zucchini. It’s pretty exciting.

The real garden story of the week though is… POTATOES! Last fall K sprouted a potato as a fun science experiment and stuck it in the garden. I thought we have removed all remnants of that experiment but apparently we did not because it self seeded. I let it go and it took up a third of the garden bed, but curiosity had me stay the course. About 10 days after the leaves died off I went to see what I could dig up yesterday and… SO MANY POTATOES!!

It was super cool. I’ll definitely grow potatoes again, but probably in a grow bag, not a raised bed 😉

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And that’s life lately around here: a little sweaty, a little slower, full of the simple stuff that I love the most, random projects, garden surprises, and the kind of summer days that feel both loose and somehow very full at the same time.

How’s summer treating you?