July Favorites

Friends, it’s August! What?!

This is just downright crazy pants. Finn was born at the beginning of March, and I swear, it feels like I had him last week. How is he going to be FIVE MONTHS in a few days?! Time is evaporating.

The good news? I’m trying to savor every second, live in every moment. I’m trying to remember every sweet minute that I have with these little boys while they’re still…little. Kieran will be five in September, and as much as I love this age (he is such a little BOY now. No longer a toddler), my heart aches when I think about how fleeting these past five years feel now. It’s just going so fast, and I want to grab time by the collar of his shirt and tell him to slow the heck down.

July was a wonderful month. That picture up there is from the fireworks on July 4th. The kids loved it – even Finn! He was totally chill and mesmerized. We had several family birthdays this month, and a fun family reunion on my husband’s side that resulted in Kieran getting to spend several days straight with aunts, uncles, and cousins that he rarely gets to see. It warmed my heart to see him throw himself into the situation with reckless abandon. I’m on the shy side, so I always marvel (and somewhat envy) people who are more outgoing. Kieran definitely has his father’s personality type, which I think will serve him well.

August is already shaping up to be a really busy month. We’ve got more birthdays, a beach weekend, and lots of pool days planned. As I mentioned earlier this week, I am leaving my job of 14 years at the end of the month, and while I’m somewhat terrified (the anxiety has been somewhat cumbersome these past couple weeks), I’m also excited and really looking forward to the new normal. Finn will be home with me every day, and Kieran will be in full-time kindergarten. I love the fact that I am going to be home with him in the mornings and there when he gets home from school in the afternoons. I love that I’ll be there full time for the rest of Finn’s first year. I also recognize that not everyone gets the chance to stay home with their children when they are this young (heck, it wasn’t possible for me until a few months ago), and I am forever grateful for this extra time with them. The chance to do this and how freaking lucky I am to do it is not lost on me one bit.

Wish me luck in this new stage of life. I am equal parts nervous and excited. Oh, and hopefully this will translate to MORE Yes to Yolks time for me! Yay for that!

Here are some of the things we’ve been loving this past month. Apologies that this list is shorter than most; we’ve been too busy soaking up summer to get bogged down in “things,” ya know?

1. Trader Joe’s blueberry lavender almond milk. OK, so first, I hate almond milk in my coffee. I’d rather drink it black! Until now. My sister brought me a carton of this to try (she’s my Trader Joe’s angel), and highly recommended I try it in coffee. I was skeptical to say the least. But! This is DELICIOUS. And creamy! It makes me feel like I’m drinking something really special and fancy, too. Big fan.
2. Tan Luxe THE FACE Tanning Drops – you guys, these are amazing. I am a sun lover, but like most women my age, I started to be much more careful come my early 30s. While I don’t avoid the sun completely, I always have sunscreen on. My face usually has SPF 40 on, and as a result, my face is super pale all summer and doesn’t match the rest of my body, which gets a light tan (I tan very easily, and I still get color even when slathered in SPF). These tanning drops have been the answer to even out my skin! Not only are they goof proof and soooo easy to apply, but they give a VERY natural fake tan and don’t have that awful tanning lotion smell. I put a few drops in my nighttime moisturizer a couple times a week, slather it on, wash my hands well, and go to sleep. It doesn’t get on my pillowcase or sheets. It takes me 30 seconds to do, and when I wake up, I have a natural-looking tan. It’s been a game changer. I want to try the body drops, too, but I’ve heard they aren’t as consistent or easy to apply.
3. This Klorane dry shampoo with oat milk has been a great discovery this past month. I’ve talked about this before, but I usually only wash my hair a couple times a week (my hair can take it – super thick, coarse). In between washes, I’ve been loving this dry shampoo. It smells great, goes on easily, and doesn’t leave a sticky, powdery residue on my hair. LOVE.
4. Another huge discovery this month has been Bulletproof collagen. So, I have been a Vital Proteins girl for a few years now. I love, love, love it. You probably have seen me reference it in several of my recipes for smoothies or coffee drinks. Unfortunately, for reasons unknown, it started disagreeing with me. I usually add it to my coffee or to a smoothie, and I was doing it almost daily. Prior to getting pregnant with Finn, I started getting horrible stomach aches after drinking the VP collagen. It was the only common denominator to my stomach aches. Ugh. So I had to give it up. This month, I started the Bulletproof collagen instead, and I am obsessed! It doesn’t have a strong flavor, it dissolves easily in hot or cold drinks, and it doesn’t give me a stomach ache. I will definitely be stocking up going forward, especially since my postpartum skin and hair are A MESS right now. Ugh.
5. I have been LIVING in these super soft PJs this summer. I got them on sale a month or so ago (they’re still on sale now!), and I love them. They aren’t too hot (which is huge for me since I sleep hot), suuuuuuper soft and comfy, and cute! I don’t feel like a total frump in these, which is rare for PJ sets. I love the tank top style!
6. These little wedge sandals are my new fave summer shoe. I wear them constantly. They’re so freaking comfy, and their neutral color/cute bow make them perfect to wear just about anywhere. I’ve been wearing them with summer dresses to the office and out to dinner with my husband. They’re dressy enough without being over the top. I just love a small wedge.

And that’s really it! Like I said, we’ve been too busy enjoying life to take on a bunch of new products, but as we ease into fall (and a real school year! Eeep!), I’m sure that will change. Happy August, friends! May it be your best month yet!

Xoxo!