Things I’m Loving Friday #419

Our family’s first official week of summer break is in the books! Fast forward 2.5 months and I know I’ll be craving routine and predictability again but man oh man did I love the more laid back vibe of this past week. I could also tell the boys were READY for downtime. They love activity and adventure (and honestly need it!) but sometimes lazy days at home, digging for worms in the dirt and riding their bikes in our neighborhood is exactly what our family needs so that’s exactly what we did!

We also had some play dates with friends and lots of pool time and I think that’s how summer will look around here this year. We’re certainly planning on lots of pool and boat time this weekend! I’ll try to share more about our weekend adventures on the blog on Monday but until then, keep on scrolling if you’d like to check out this week’s roundup of Friday favorites!

Things I’m Loving Friday

• Mae and Pop’s Visit + Chase’s First Swim Meet

As I mentioned last Friday, my mom and dad came in town last weekend for a short visit! They actually arrived on my dad’s 69th birthday and we made sure to celebrate our favorite guy with banners, red velvet cake, presents, cards and lots of love.

We had such a nice weekend and there’s just nothing better than seeing your kids adore their grandparents and watching that love reciprocated tenfold. (Chase actually set a timer and sat by the front door waiting for them on arrive on Friday until I told him it would be a whiiile since their drive was 6+ hours.)

(My dad snapped the above picture and it’s one I know I’ll cherish forever. So much love.) 

The boys soaked up lots of story time, cuddles, swim time and play time with Mae and Pop and it was just the best. (Selfishly, I must admit that a highlight from the weekend for me also included the adults-only time with my parents on our screened-in porch after early bedtimes for the boys. Uninterrupted time together is never taken for granted over here!)

We also filled our days with lots of pool time including Chase’s first swim meet and family swimming at the pool with hilarious timed races down a water slide and poolside ping pong!

Chase’s swim meet on Saturday morning was also quite memorable and while we went to the meet unsure of what to expect, Chase walked away from the meet beaming with his first ribbon.

I love the way the “Speedy Meet” was conducted because it was very low pressure. The younger kids (8 and under) could opt in and swim any stroke they wished and swimming one length of the pool earned them a ribbon. Chase earned his ribbon for swimming freestyle and his goal is to get two ribbons — one for freestyle and one for breaststroke — next time. Gooo Chase!

• Cuisinart Oil Mister

I’ve been using a refillable oil mister for a while but I’ve broken and repurchased the same one twice. You have to pump it before you spray it and it was increasingly annoying and not really misting much anymore.

Somehow my mom must’ve known this in the weird way mothers and their kids are connected because she arrived at our house on Friday with a new Cuisinart oil mister in hand. She raved about it, saying it was a million times better than the old pump misters we both had. It took me all of ONE spray to realize this mister was legit! See ya old mister! Hellooo new mister! I already ordered a second oil mister since I like to have one filled with olive oil and one filled with liquid coconut oil at all times.

• Waterproof Wet Bag

This wet bag got a brief mention in my blog post about our Summer Staples for Kids last week but I wanted to give it a shout out here as well because it’s something I’m using every single day right now. We’re living at the pool because the boys love the water and Chase has swim team practice every weekday for 30 minutes so this wet bag is getting a LOT of use. It easily holds our entire family’s soaking wet swimsuits and the boys’ rash guards and can also fit a small towel. It does a fantastic job of keeping our wet stuff separate from our dry stuff and ensuring everything else in my pool bag stays completely dry!

• The Return of Yoga (Fingers Crossed!)

(Sunglasses: Quay / Top: Amazon / Leggings: Beyond Yoga via StitchFix / Shoes: Adidas / Scrunchie: Nike / Aaand this pic is after a boot camp workout but I didn’t have a yoga pic to share and thought this one that Chase snapped was sweet!) 

I’m not sure if it’s summertime and a less intense schedule involving a million kid drop offs and pick ups but I’m feeling more inspired to slow down in my workouts, too. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still 100 percent in love with boot camp and strength training but I’d like to get better about taking more than a few minutes a day to stretch and, ideally, would like to make a goal of taking one yoga class a week. My hamstrings feel so tight they could snap and my back and hips always feel incredible after yoga. I know it’s so good for my body and the way I felt after a Thursday morning yoga class is all the motivation I need to prioritize incorporating it into my routine.

Also, I think Chase (and possibly Ryder) might enjoy completing a short yoga practice with me from time to time so if any of you out there happen to have recommendations for YouTube channels that offer yoga videos both adults and kids can do and enjoy together, I’d love to learn more about them!

• May 2022 Top 10

In an effort to be better at taking the time to analyze some of my analytics, last year I began sharing a monthly recap in my Friday posts highlighting my top 10 blog posts and your top 10 favorite finds from the blog + Instagram. Hopefully this will also help you check out some blog posts you might have missed or help you easily locate an item I’ve mentioned in the past that got buried in blog/social media mayhem.

Here’s a peek at was you guys liked best in May 2022!

TOP 10 BLOG POSTS

• Greek Yogurt Rotisserie Chicken Salad
• Easy Orange Juice Marinated Chicken Thighs
• Sweet + Spicy Toddlerhood, Drywall Begins and Feels Like Summer
• 15 Beach Reads for Summer
• Mid-Week Catch Up + Some House Updates
• Egg White and Oatmeal Protein Pancakes
• Currently: May 2022
• Week of Weeknight Meals: May 2022
• Transition from 2 to 3 Kids: Q&A
• DIY Memory Boxes

Top 10 FAVORITES

• Beauty By Earth Sunless Tanning Lotion: I was on a mission for a low-maintenance tanning lotion (something that wouldn’t require a mitt and a whole routine) and this was a big-time winner. I rub it in like lotion and it produces a gorgeous tan. Bonus: It’s a clean beauty find and doesn’t smell!
• Amazon Jumpsuit: My obsession. So comfy and cute! I reach for this 2x a week lately!
• Ziploc Bag Organizer: For anyone who appreciates beautiful pantry organization
• Kid-Size Beach Towels: Our favorite for summer — not too big + bulky but still large enough to dry off everyone in our family
• White Kraft Paper: A giant roll of paper we use all the time for making banners, kid crafts, etc.
• Button Down Coverup: Lightweight, universally flattering and covers the booty.
• Bissell Handheld Vacuum: Perfect for small spaces, vacuuming cars, strollers, handbags, etc.
• Athleta Run with It Shorts: My favorite functional, comfortable and flattering gym shorts
• Rubbermaid Brilliance Glass Container: aka the container we use to store our homemade ice cream
• Zip-Front One Piece Swimsuit: Cutest print and not too cheeky!

• Friday Flashbacks

Recent Beauty Favorites (Shared last summer, these are still some of my absolute favorite beauty finds)

Grilled Scallops with Sweet Corn and Tomato Salad (Add this to your summertime must-make list!)

Question of the Day

What is one thing making you smile this week?