While we loved our time with family, it feels good to be home and we’re slowly beginning to think through our summer routine now that normalcy is kicking in. I have a mini list of things I’d love to do with the boys (day trips, activities, etc.) and we also have a couple camps sprinkled in for them throughout the summer.
As for the weekend ahead, Father’s Day is approaching so we’ll definitely be celebrating Ryan (and calling my dad and missing him!) and hope to make him feel a little extra special. I’m hoping to snap enough pictures to share a weekend recap with you guys but until then, keep on scrolling if you’d like to check out this week’s roundup of favorites! Have a great weekend, my friends!
Things I’m Loving Friday #516
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Mae’s Summer Shirts
A few years ago my mom laid out everything all of her grandchildren needed to make some colorful DIY summer t-shirts during our Florida visit. She had everything from tie-dye supplies and puffy paints to fabric markers and our boys and their cousins were so into it!
(Throwback pic from 2022!)
(Throwback pic from 2021!)
Fast forward several years and Mae’s summer shirts quickly became one of their favorite summer traditions. The boys love picking pictures out of a selection of coloring books to copy or trace with puffy paints and I’m planning to save all of their summer shirts to turn into a quilt one day once they’re too big for the boys to wear. They’re are filled with so many colorful, happy memories and I love the way the puffy paint shirts represent something they’re into/love every year.
For years, I exclusively drank decaf coffee in the morning. After falling in love with organic Lavazza coffee thanks to loving the coffee at my sister and brother-in-law’s house, I switched back to regular coffee and still absolutely love a cup of Lavazza coffee in the morning. I think it will always be one of my favorites (it’s one of the top coffee brands in Italy and has been around for more than 100 years) and the best way I can describe it is to say it’s delicious in its simplicity.
More recently, however, I’ve felt the urge to decrease my caffeine intake. While I don’t think a cup of coffee in the morning is detrimental to my health in any way, I do know I’m very sensitive to caffeine and don’t like feeling like I “need” a cup of coffee to start my day. I love coffee and I love the ritual of coffee but I don’t like feeling foggy until I have my coffee in the morning. Enter Purity Coffee! My friend Danielle recommended this brand to me when we got to talking about decaf coffee and caffeine sensitivity. When she said they make an organic coffee with only 1/3 the amount of caffeine as typical coffee, it sounded like a great option.
I ordered the Balance 1/3 caff whole bean coffee and have been absolutely loving it! It has a small amount of caffeine so I feel like I have a little somethin’ without feeling like I’m fueling the need for coffee in the morning to feel like a real person. If you’d like to give it a try, my referral link will give both of us $10 off. I hope you love it!
A few of you have asked me to share a list of my updated summer favorites for kids (especially pool/lake favorites) and I still hope to get around to doing that soon, but in the meantime I quickly put together a Kid Summer Favorites list and added it to my PBF Amazon storefront for easy browsing. I tried my best to include our boys’ summertime favorites — everything from pool and lake toys, our favorite sunscreen, outside activities, games and more. So I hope this is helpful for you and your family as summer break kicks into full gear!
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Throne of Glass (Books 1 – 4) by Sarah J. Mass
I had planned on sharing a recap of my thoughts on the Throne of Glass series once I was completely done reading it but the books are longgg and I’ve missed chatting about books with you guys! Also, I’m going to take a break and sprinkle in some other books before reading more books from the series so here’s a midway point check in: I’m loving it!
I first discovered Sarah J. Maas’ books last year when a million of you told me to read the A Court of Thornes and Roses (ACOTAR) series. I thought it was fantastic (books 2 and 3 were by far my favorites though) and I was excited to dive into Throne of Glass. And I loved book one and books 2, 3 and 4 are only all the more engrossing! I don’t want to spoil the series for anyone who might be interested but it’s a wild ride of fantasy kingdoms, evil kings, assassins, relationships, hope, magic internal struggles… ugh it just has it all.
Honestly, all of the books are already blurring together since I read books 1-4 back-to-back so I don’t even remember which one I liked best because I’ve enjoyed every single one. I have some guesses where things are headed but I’ve already been hit with some unexpected twists so who knows!?
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Friday Flashbacks
Shrimp Edamame Salad (Inspired by ceviche, this salad is so bright and fresh and perfect for the warm summer months.)
High Protein Oat Bran (A breakfast recipe with the creamy texture of Cream of Wheat but with a satisfying boost of protein to keep you fuller longer!)
Question of the Day
What is one thing making you smile this week?
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Hi Julie! I’m a big fan of your blog, your recipe for chicken marinate is a staple in our house. Would you consider doing a blog post about your boys swimming progress? They seem like confident swimmers and would love to know any tips you have!
Oh thanks for the coffee recommendation!! I recently found a local place that sold a mix of 1/2 decaf and 1/2 regular. Not sure if it’s the same thing as the one you’re drinking that is 1/3 caffeine? So now I’ve just been buying a bad of decaf and regular and mixing them together. It works well and this way I can still drink my favourite brand of coffee 🙂
I love Purity coffee but have yet to try the 1/3 caff! I also JUST started reading Throne of Glass and am not hooked quite yet but I’m definitely going to keep reading! I’ve heard so many people rave about it.
Always enjoy your Friday posts 🙂
I’m also very sensitive to caffeine (especially as I’ve gotten older – weirdly, it now gives me nightmares at night if I have any after noon). I read that the process to make decaf coffee involves carcinogens so I avoid decaf coffee now (except when I grab Starbucks with a coworker once in a while).
I’ve switched to Teeccino (https://teeccino.com), which I love! I buy the tea bag versions in the Gift Box Sampler for variety, and they have grounds too so you can brew like coffee. Sometimes I use two tea bags to get a stronger flavor, and I add ice or milk for my morning latte. Have you tried it?
Correction: the decaf coffee I was drinking might be processed with carcinogens, but I saw the Purity brand you posted uses a chemical-free process. But I think even decaf still has some caffeine, so I still avoid decaf.
Curious as to what grinder do you use to grind your coffee beans?