July Favorites

Can you believe we’re already one week into August?

I swear, July went by so fast, I feel like I missed it. We were just so busy with so much going on, it was over before I knew it.

That said, it was another great month for us. In early July, we took our annual trip to Ocracoke Island in the Outer Banks, and it was even better this year than previous years.

The kids are at fantastic ages for this kind of trip. While Dan and I LOVE it down there (the beaches are the best and the island is incredibly charming), it’s a lot of work to pack everyone up for a week down at the beach 8+ hours away. It’s not the most relaxing trip. We’ll just say that. BUT! The kids are in heaven, which makes it all worth it.

A huge group of us from NJ goes during the same week in July every year, and while we know a big chunk of them, we don’t know everyone. It has turned into friends of friends of friends making the trek each year. The group is growing, and it is SO much fun. The kids had 20 other kids to play with on the beach the whole time. We absolutely loved it this year.

Once home from that, Kieran went to a baseball skills camp with his travel team and had a blast. We’re already so looking forward to the fall ball baseball season. He loves it so much.

We also celebrated Dan’s birthday with friends. Since we’re so close to Atlantic City, we often do that for quick overnight kids-free nights. We aren’t gamblers, but there are tons of amazing restaurants and fun pools/beaches to do during the day. It’s perfect for a night or two away.

Like I said, it was a busy month for us. All good stuff, though!

Despite being so busy with day-to-day family things, I discovered some new favorites, and I can’t wait to tell you about them.

1. First up: the books I read. If you’ve been reading my monthly favorites post this year so far, you know that I set out on an unofficial mission to up my reading game in 2022. So far, I’ve read over 40 books this year. I grew up as a voracious reader, but after my English major college days, I was BURNT OUT. I would have been happy to never pick up another book again. And I didn’t for a long while. I’ve been reading like crazy again, and I LOVE it. In July, I read a few worth mentioning. First, The Highland Fling by Meghan Quinn. OK, so I am discovering that I love everything written by this author. Spicy rom-coms with SO much humor. I laugh out loud multiple times when reading her stuff. This one was so cute – it takes place in Scotland and has a ton of swoon-worthy moments. Loved it. I also read The Summer I Turned Pretty series in anticipation of the Amazon TV series, and while I LOVED the show (it’s different from the books), the books made me mad. Hah. Still worth reading, though! The show is freaking adorable. I also read Every Summer After and freaking loved it. It was one of those books I didn’t want to end and couldn’t stop thinking about when it was over. It transported me back to my teenage years in the best way. It might be my favorite book I’ve read in awhile. I also read To Hate Adam Conor, which was the follow up to the Jason Thorn book, and I adored it. SUCH a cute story with plenty of spice! Also an amazing mix of deep, real issues and humor. Highly recommend.
2. After my old essential oil diffuser broke, I replaced it with this one, and I love, love, love it. Not only is it pretty, but it diffuses the oils in a subtle way. Meaning, it dispenses them perfectly without making anything too overpowering. I also love that it can run for a full 8 hours without running out of water. Big fan.
3. Along those same lines, I tried out a few of the Hotel Collection oil blends to diffuse, and I can’t say enough good things about them. My Way is my favorite, but 24K Magic and Dream On are both fantastic too. All very different but potent, high-quality scents. I have them going all the time.
4. I found these incredible running shorts at Abercrombie, and immediately stocked up in a variety of colors. I wear them all the time. They’re so, so comfy (they have biker-like shorts underneath), lightweight, and have so much stretch. The colors are adorable, too.
5. I also stocked up on these bodysuits from Abercrombie. OK, so I never thought I’d be able to wear a bodysuit, as I’m still coping with my postpartum body and not really into skintight stuff anymore, but these are SO comfortable and really flattering. They sort of suck everything in and offer a ton of support without feeling constricting at all. I love them with shorts or joggers – just a chic but comfy way to be casual without looking like a frump. If you’re on the fence, trust me when I say that these are great. Again, I’m NOT a bodysuit person.
6. I technically discovered Two Chicks hard seltzers last summer, but I continue to love them this year. All the flavors are fantastic, and they are light enough to sip poolside on a hot day or on the beach. Absolutely love them! My current three fave flavors are the Elderflower-Pear, Strawberry-Basil-Lemon, and Gin-Apple-Cucumber.
7. After an unfortunate hot coffee spill incident, my Apple keyboard bit the dust this past month. Whoops. I upgraded to this magic keyboard and LOVE IT. I love that it’s a full keyboard with all the usual keys. I much prefer it to the old keyboard.
8. My one issue with the keyboard is that it lies completely flat, which is not comfortable for typing. I bought this angled stand for it, and it’s GREAT. It’s clear and blends in, but it angles the keyboard up and is more ergonomic and comfortable for typing. HIGHLY recommend for use with the Apple magic keyboard.
9. When at the beach, the boys’ bathing suits tend to chafe them after long days in the salt water and sand. I bought this Body Glide stick to help with the chafing, and it made a HUGE difference for them on our trip. I love that it’s light and not too greasy, and they love the relief.
10. The kids have been loving these GoodPop popsicles this summer, and I love that they are organic and don’t have any added food dyes. The grape and fruit punch are their favorite flavors.

And that’s it! From here on out, we’ll be soaking up these last few weeks of summer before school starts and we’re into a new season of life. XOXO!

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