Things I’m Loving Friday #424

Hey hey! How are you guys doing out there? Did you have a good week? Anyone have summer travel plans in full swing right now?

We’re thoroughly enjoying our time in Florida and slowly finding a rhythm to our days. It’s H-O-T here and so most of our days involve outside activities centered around some kind of water whether it be swimming at the pool at my parents’ place or my sister’s neighborhood pool or splashing around at the beach or local splash pads. It’s hot and sweaty and I feel like I’m coated in a film of sunscreen and sweat at all times but it’s also pretty awesome. Seeing the boys thrive here among lizards, fish and family is making this limbo phase of life one I know I’ll remember for a long, long time.

Our weekend ahead will likely look similar to last weekend and include a lot of pool, beach and family time. I hope to share more Florida fun with you guys soon but now it’s Things I’m Loving Friday tiiime where I share a roundup of my weekly favorites on the blog every Friday. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

Things I’m Loving Friday

• Celebrating Mae (+ The Bachelorette Watch Night!)

One of the big-time benefits of spending so much of our summer in Florida is the fact that we’ll be celebrating two birthdays alongside family! My mom’s birthday was on Wednesday and it was so nice to be able to wish her happy birthday and celebrate her in person! We spent her special day swimming at the pool and I drove back to my parents’ place once the boys were settled for the night to watch The Bachelorette with my mom. It was wooonderful and felt like such a treat! Are any of you guys watching this season? Thoughts!? I adore Gabby and love her sense of humor!

• Adopting a Leopard Gecko

I am so incredibly excited about this special surprise. I’ve been scanning various reptile rescue websites for a while now knowing we’d be adding a reptilian friend to our family soon. We’ve been waiting for the right moment and it is HERE!

We will be surprising Chase with the three-year-old little lady you see in the above picture on his birthday on Friday! I previously reached out to Southern Reptile Haven in Jacksonville to coordinate a visit from 10-15 of their rescued reptiles at a mini family birthday party for Chase next Friday and unbeknownst to him, he’ll get to keep one of the visiting reptiles!

When I initially inquired about adopting a leopard gecko in need of a home, the rescue did not have any available. Things change quickly in the animal rescue world, however, and now we’ll be the new family owners of a full-grown leopard gecko recently surrendered to the rescue. We haven’t met her yet (the above pic was sent to me from the rescue) but she sounds like a great fit for our family. The rescue told us she is comfortable being gently held and has a good temperament around kids. I’m sure you’ll be hearing way more about leopard geckos than you care to on this blog in the coming days, weeks, months and years (they live for a long time!) but for now we are researching how to best care for our new friend and getting SO pumped about this big surprise for our almost 7-year-old birthday boy!

• Llama Naturals Gummy Vitamins

(Note: I’m partnering with Llama Naturals for an Instagram collab but wanted to share more about these vitamins on the blog as well because we love them SO much and I’ve been looking for vitamins like these for such a long time. I’m just happy they’re available to us now!) 

I have been looking for high-quality gummy vitamins for the boys foreverrr and was so discouraged by the ingredient list in most seemingly healthy children’s vitamins… and then Llama Naturals came along! Llama Naturals plant-based gummy vitamins are made from organic whole fruits and vegetables and contain NO added sugar. Oh happy day!

Our entire family has been taking them for 4+ months or so and they’re gummies we all genuinely look forward to taking every day because they’re so darn tasty! (I think they taste more like a fruit leather than traditional fruit snacks.) We love the kids multivitamin, adult multivitamin, prebiotic + probiotic and vitamin D3 for everyday use and will also take the elderberry immunity vitamin if I notice sniffles or if it seems like a cold might be coming on. For anyone interested in trying these vitamins, Llama Naturals is offering 20% off your order with use of the code JULIE20. If you and/or your little ones try these vitamins, I hope they’re as big of a hit in your family as they are in ours!

• The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand

My rating: A-

Elin Hilderbrand is a go-to author for me when I’m looking for a breezy beach read because she has dominated the genre for years and for good reason. The Hotel Nantucket is her latest novel and was a complete gem! I can see how this book might be a little too “fluffy” for some but it was just what I was looking for as we embark on a month away from home in Florida.

I thought the concept of the book was creative — one of the main characters is Grace, the ghost of the 19-year-old chambermaid who was murdered in The Hotel Nantucket in 1922 — and the hotel’s re-opening has everyone on the island excited and more than a few people skeptical.

Lizbet Keaton and her boyfriend of 15+ years were the sweethearts of Nantucket until their unexpected breakup inspires Lizbet to seek a fresh start. She lands the demanding job of hotel manager of The Hotel Nantucket and is determined to turn the dilapidated hotel into the first hotel to earn a coveted “5 key” review from Instagram travel influencer Shelly Carpenter, a goal presented to her by Xaviar Darling, the new (billionaire!) owner of the hotel.  As the hotel opens and welcomes its first guests, everything might appear perfect on the outside but under the surface drama begins to bubble up aided, in part, by the hauntings of nineteen-year-old chambermaid ghost, Grace Hadley, who is bound and determined to have someone learn the truth about her death, once and for all.

• Jeremiah’s Italian Ice

Jeremiah’s Italian Ice takes me back to my college days at UCF!! Ryan and I were die-hard Jeremiah’s fans and went a little too often! They make gelati — layers of creamy Italian ice + soft ice cream — and it’s a dream. They have a location in the Jacksonville Beach area and it’s a short 5 minute drive from our rental home soooo I think you all know what that means. Gelati every dayyy! Okay, not every day but multiple times a week it’s happening for sure.

• Friday Flashbacks

Grilled Scallops with Sweet Corn and Tomato Salad (I’ll never turn down scallops and when they’re served with a simple, summery salad, I’m an even bigger fan!)

15 30-Minutes or Less Workouts You Can Do At Home (Sharing this one for anyone looking for at-home/travel-friendly workouts!)

Question of the Day

What is one thing making you smile today?