We’ll be celebrating all the June birthdays in my family (my dad, sister and Ryder), enjoying lots of time out on the lake and just soaking up time together. Bring it on! I am sure I’ll have family fun to share on the blog with you guys next week but I may also be a little spotty with my blogging as I try my best to soak up family time. I’ll check in when I can and hope you all have a great weekend and, for my American friends, have a fantastic Fourth of July!
Things I’m Loving Friday
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Girls’ Weekend Trip
I ended up leaving my computer at home and completely disconnected last weekend which was so, so wonderful. I spent a few days in the mountains with four friends I first met nearly eight years ago when we all had our first babies. They are women I connected with as first-time mothers and we formed a small group together which truly carried me through some of the most painful times of my life. Our friendship has only grown since then and having a couple of days together to talk, hike, connect and laugh was so wonderful!
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Cane Storage Cabinets (A Walmart Find!)
Ever since we moved into our new home, Ryan and I have been on the hunt for some kind of a tall furniture piece to put on the wall that transitions from our kitchen to our living room. An old changing table I found at Goodwill when I was pregnant with Rhett previously occupied this space and while it was functional for a while, now that we’re several weeks into potty training, I’m feeling confident enough to donate it. This only served as further motivation to look for something for this space and when I saw @laura.loves.it share this cane cabinet (in black) on Instagram, I clicked her link and was so psyched because the price point was great and it came in a wood finish, too! I added two to my cart figuring if they didn’t work on that wall, we had two other spaces in our home where they may work as well.
The cabinets came together quickly (Ryder was my little furniture-building helper again) and I love them even more in person. Based on the photos online I was a little worried the finish might trend orangey but it’s a beautiful light wood finish and I love the way they look paired together.
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Our First Haul from Our First Garden
Oh happy day! The garden we planted on Mother’s Day a little more than a month ago continues to blow me away! We were all initially just thrilled to see little plants sprouting in our garden boxes but something incredible happened this week — we noticed zucchini and yellow squash big enough to harvest! What!?!
This is all kind of blowing me away because I kill basically every plant I bring inside our home and our outdoor garden has felt like one giant experiment. Thanks to a lot of your tips and guidance from the people at Pike’s Nurseries, we’ve had success so far this summer and it is just the coolest. The boys are SO into it and check on our garden daily. They were so thrilled to pick giant zucchini off the vines this week and we’re already brainstorming lots of zucchini dishes to make with our first haul!
(The boys’ pajamas are the same super-soft Amazon jammies they wore last summer. The fabric is lightweight and crazy comfy and I sized up so they’ve been able to wear them for two back-to-back summers.)
Also, gardeners help me out: What do you call a bunch of veggies you grow in your garden? A haul? A crop? A harvest? I know nothing.
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Something Wilder by Christina Lauren
My rating: C
Well, it happened. After absolutely loving almost every Christina Lauren novel I’ve read so far, I read Something Wilder and was, to put it simply, not a fan. I found the plotline completely unbelievable (and that’s coming from someone who usually doesn’t have a hard time suspending reality for the sake of enjoying a novel) and didn’t really feel invested in any of the characters. It’s a book I truly could’ve stopped reading at anytime but powered through mostly because I had it available on my Kindle and as an audiobook through my library so it was a very quick read since I was double-dippig. I say all this to say I’m still a fan of Christina Lauren but if you haven’t read and of this author-team’s books, I’d skip this one in favor of one of their other slam-dunk breezy beach reads.
Something Wilder follows present-day Lily Wilder and Luke Grady, a pair who met and fell in love a decade ago when Luke came to work on the Wilder family ranch. After a miscommunication leaves them brokenhearted and devastated, they’re shocked when they find themselves face-to-face again after Luke’s friend plans a trip out west for their annual guys’ trip.
In Lily and Luke’s years apart, Lily and her friend Nicole began leading groups on scavenger-hunt inspired desert tours inspired by her famed treasure-hunter father, Duke Wilder. As Luke and his friends set out on one of her tours, Lily and Luke are forced to confront their past and their future which takes a dark turn when a member of their tour group turns out to be less than trustworthy all in the name of treasure which may or may not exist.
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Fourth of July Weekend Sales
Sharing a few Fourth of July weekend sales for anyone hoping to do a little shopping and take advantage of some savings over the next few days!
- Old Navy: 50% off all dresses + Deals $8 and under (Here are the items I ordered that I kept and love from their Memorial Day weekend sale — For me: This floral maxi dress, denim mini dress, rib-knit skirt / For the boys: Waffle knit shorts, checkered pocket tee, oatmeal stripe tee, khaki checkered tee)
- Target: My favorite tanks are $5.60 / My favorite linen tees are $8.40 / These toddler/little boy swim trunks are only $7 and are our favorite!!! They’re not too loose or baggy and look so adorable. We have them in both blue and the orange color for Rhett and Ryder./ We’ve used these faux-leather storage bins all over our house. / We have these fringe linen bath towels in our bathroom and love them.
- DSW: 25% off with code SUNNY 25 (Includes a lot of the New Balance 237s the boys and I love so much! So comfy and the kids’ versions slip on. These Vans slip-ons are a favorite of both Rhett and Ryder and pass the hand-me-down test — a rarity for shoes!)
- Hanna Andersson: The Big Hanna Sale with savings up to 60% off (Their pajamas are adorable and pass the hand-me-down test!)
- aerie: 40-70% off (My friend Lauren has these denim shorts and raves about them and the stretchy waistband)
- Madewell: It’s their Big Summer Sale with savings up to 60% + an extra 30% off sale off with code HOTDEAL
- Anthropologie: 40% off sale (How gorgeous are these wine glasses?!)
- QUAY: BOGO sunglasses (I have and love their Sweet Dreams sunglasses)
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Friday Flashbacks
Simple Summer Pasta Salad (A summertime cookout staple in our house!)
Paleo Chicken Thigh Marinade (If you are hosting a Fourth of July cookout add these chicken thighs to your must-make list. I promise they’ll be a hit!!)
Question of the Day
What is one thing you’re loving this week?
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Ina Garten has the best zucchini and goat cheese tart!
We’ve made the pasta salad twice in the last couple weeks. My 5 year old chops everything for it and makes the dressing 🙂 Pasta salad, chips, and a grilled entree is my favorite meal of all time.
100% agree on Something Wilder! I’ve read and loved all of her others and this one I just was not at all into. I stopped halfway through and I very rarely quit a book early.
I totally agree with the Something Wilder rating! It was so meh
Yep, Something Wilder was the worst book I’ve read from the duo. I’ve loved all of their other books, but this one is a hard pass. I’ll still keep reading and have their newest one waiting for me this weekend!
I highly recommend this book — Zucchini Love: 43 Garden-Fresh Recipes for Salads, Soups, Breads, Lasagnas, Stir-Fries, and More by Cynthia Graubart … it’s probably at the library, too.
You will soon have so much zucchini you won’t know what to do with it … shred it and freeze it or donate it to a food bank or food cupboard at your church.
I was in Mallorca this summer on a boat and the captain took a zucchini, mandolined it and made thin round cuts, drizzled really good olive oil on it, and seasoned it with salt and pepper. It was ridiculously delicious and I didn’t even think I liked zucchini.
Zucchini Butter Pasta for the Win!!
https://smittenkitchen.com/2021/06/zucchini-butter-spaghetti/
Hope you have a wonderful visit with your family!
Based on the comments, I’m clearly in the minority for LOVING Something Wilder! 🙂 I thought it was one of their most creative storylines. Not at the top of my list, but I still loved it!