Our week was a full but good one which is how I think our weekend will be as well. We have another fishing event on the agenda as well as a local children’s triathlon which should be a lot of fun. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend ahead and always appreciate you making my blog a part of your Fridays! Now let’s chat about some things we’re loving this week, shall we?
Things I’m Loving Friday
(Pajama Pants/ Pajama Tee / Brunch Slippers)
Last year, right around the holidays, I was sent a a pair of unbelievably soft and comfortable pajama pants from a brand called Negative. The material of the pajamas was unlike anything I’d felt before — whisper soft, breathably lightweight and, like the brand name implies, felt almost like nothing when I slipped on the pajama pants. I admittedly struggled with including them in a TILF post for one main reason: They were nearly $200. I feel like some things are worth a splurge (a beautiful bag, high-quality shoes, jeans, jewelry I’ll wear every day), but I had a hard time reconciling the price of these pants with the fact that they are… pajamas. Now, to be clear, I LOVE them. I was grateful to receive them in a surprise PR gifting and wear them regularly. They’re also the pajama pants I pack when we travel because they pack up so tiny! But, still, almost $200 for pajama pants felt a bit much.
Now fast forward several months and this pair of pajamas pants I saw on Amazon caught my eye because someone said they were so similar to the Negative pajama pants I love so much… and they were $32. Worth a shot, right!?
When they arrived, I was immediately impressed with the similarity of the cloud-like fabric. They felt like the whispery soft crazy-lightweight (perfect for summer!) material I love so much in my pair of Negative pajama pants. And then I pulled them on and was immediately impressed with just how similarly they fit! I couldn’t resist ordering some of the matching tops (tank + tee + long-sleeve top) in the same ultra-thin fabric and have been so impressed with everything. One note: I sized up in the pants but the tops seem to fit true to size.
We’re entering the time of year when I find myself walking around a little, um, sweatier than usual. In the winter, I cannot stand the feeling of cold sweat on my body and will shower right after a workout, but during the summer, if my workout wasn’t too sweaty, I’ll go about my day after a workout because I know I’ll just be getting sweaty outside again during the day with the boys. Evening showers are where it’s at for ne in the summer months but this admittedly isn’t the best for my skin. Enter this Tower 20 SOS clean beauty spray!! I first tried this SOS (“save our skin”) spray last summer when I added it to an order of my favorite Tower 28 SPF skin tint and liked it enough to add it to my recent Sephora spring sale order.
During the warmer months of the year, my chest and chin will often break out and I am convinced it’s because I’m sweating more than usual and my sweat just sits on my body for extended periods of time. That’s why this spray initially intrigued me so much — it uses hypochlorous acid to kill the bacteria that causes acne and keeps post-gym breakouts at bay, calm skin redness, and soothe stressed skin. You just spray it on and let it do it’s thing!
Also, for those interested in a deeper dive into skincare stuff like I am, research shows skin pH, bacterial load, and inflammatory signaling all shift significantly within 15-30 minutes of sweating stopping… meaning the longer sweat sits, the more bacteria grows. And that’s why this SOS spray is magical! If I can’t shower or wash my face within 30 minutes of sweating, I use this spray (I keep this travel size one in my car) and really do feel like it makes a difference in my face and chest skin clarity.
This granola recipe never fails me. I’ve made it so many times with different oils (avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil), sweeteners (maple syrup, honey), nuts and seeds, coconut, dried fruit and chocolate chips and it always, always turns out so well. I take the blogger’s tips to heart and always toss the granola halfway through baking and then press it down to get bigger clumps. I love it so much and it’s also one of those easy yet delicious recipes that make a great gift, too. I made a double batch earlier this week with pecans and pepitas so we would have enough leftover to pass along to a preschool mom who just had a baby. It also makes the whole house smell amazing and freezes well.
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Supergoop! Spring Sale is here!!!
It’s here!!!! The Supergoop! spring sale I shop every single year to stock up on our family’s sunscreen! This sunscreen has been our family’s favorite for years because it glides on so smoothly with ZERO white cast and none of the thick stickiness we’ve all come to expect from typical sunscreens out there. It protects our skin so well (and we have some very sunburn-prone people in our family!) I have my parents, sister and her family obsessed with it as well. Since Supergoop! rarely goes on sale, I use this time of year to stock up on all of our favorites at 20% off. (Note: My code PBFINGERS10 stacks on top of the 20% off for a total of 30% off for new customers!!) Also worth noting for those interested in clean sunscreen, the majority of Supergoop! sunscreen I researched on the EWG website received a 2 or 3 rating which I personally think is great for a product we’re using daily in the summertime.
Here’s a breakdown of our go-to Supergoop! sunscreen favorites:
Supergoop! Play Everyday Lotion SPF 50:
Our summertime hero! We buy the giant 18-ounce size and I LOVE the pump because it makes applying sunscreen to three energetic kids a little easier. We go through SO MUCH sunscreen all summer long and this size is the best for our family! It’s also the sunscreen we leave out for guests to use when they come over for lake fun.
Supergoop! Play Everyday Body Mist SPF 50:
And all parents everywhere said, “Bless spray sunscreen!” It’s the BEST for re-applying sunscreen when we’re out and about with the kids and this is our go-to. I get the three-pack and always have this sunscreen in my pool/beach bag for a quick reapplication when we’re out and about.
Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50:
If you’re looking for the clearest of the clear sunscreen for your face, this Unseen Sunscreen is it. It doubles as a makeup primer (great for everyday wear) and is scentless, weightless, non-irritating and won’t clog your pores. Win, win. I included this sunscreen in a beach bag with a towel, beach read and gift card for the boys’ teachers last year and it was a hit!
Supergoop! Play Everyday Sunscreen Stick SPF 50:
This is the one the boys like to use themselves to apply sunscreen to their face. It’s been great for sunscreen touch-ups on-the-go for our family.
Supergoop! Mineral Glowscreen Soft Radiance Drops SPF 40:
These drops are the best for applying right after my morning skincare for under-my-makeup sun protection. (Think of it almost like a hybrid sunscreen/makeup primer!) It makes your skin look SO healthy, bright and more awake. I use the sunrise shade right now (and through the winter) but switch to golden hour as my skin becomes a little more bronzed during the summer.
I also recommend their SPF Starter Set if you’re unfamiliar with Supergoop! to see if it’s a good fit for you. It comes with four of the bestsellers we love!
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Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
My rating: B- / Genre: Mystery
I oscillated from enjoying this book to being annoyed by this book. As someone who reads a lot of suspense and mystery novels, a lot of the joy I get from reading mysteries is trying to solve them. I’m no stranger to an unreliable narrator but the narrator in Beautiful Ugly felt like a different kind of unreliable for a myriad of reasons. (I don’t want to go into all of them because I don’t want to spoil anything but his unreliability felt redundant and frustrating after a while.) I was invested enough in the book and intrigued enough to continue wondering how the heck it was all going to unfold but it wasn’t a must-read mystery novel for me by any means, especially when I stack it against some of Alice Feeney’s other books which I enjoyed much more.
From Amazon: Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life. Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared. A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible – a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.
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Friday Flashbacks
Simple Summer Salad (The ridiculously delicious salad worthy of a party! My aunt made it for my baby shower and it was the biggest hit.)
How to Make Salmon Bites (The best in a poke-style rice bowl!)
QUESTION OF THE DAY
What is one thing making you smile this week?
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